The Federal Aviation Administration has temporarily banned drone operations over parts of New Jersey until mid-January and warned that the government may respond with “deadly force” against drones that pose a threat.
Beginning on Wednesday and through Jan. 17, unmanned aircraft are barred from flying within a nautical mile of specified airspace outlined in an FAA Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM.
The government may use “deadly force” against the drones if they present an “imminent security threat,” the NOTAM said.
The temporary flight restrictions have been implemented over a large and significantly populated area of New Jersey, including: Jersey City, Bayonne, Elizabeth, Harrison, Kearny, Edison, Bridgewater, Cedar Grove, Hamilton, North and South Brunswick, Branchburg, Woodbridge, Clifton, Westampton, Winslow, Gloucester City and Camden.
Drone pilots who breach the restricted airspace could have their drones intercepted and be “detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel,” according to the alert.
The FAA warned trespassers they could have their operator’s certificates suspended or revoked and face criminal charges.
The previously issued temporary flight restrictions over Bedminster, home of President-elect Donald Trump’s golf club, and the Army’s Picatinny Arsenal, where drone sightings have previously been confirmed, remain in place, ABC News reported.
Since drones first appeared in New Jersey skies on Nov. 18, the FBI has received over 5,000 tips about sightings in the tri-state area, according to a statement released on Monday by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the FAA and the Department of Defense.
The Biden administration has repeatedly downplayed the situation, even as area residents and lawmakers have demanded answers and action regarding the mysterious aircraft.
New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), who has been outspoken about the enigmatic drone situation — and even suggested that they may be coming from an Iran “mothership” in the Atlantic — said that the “inconsistency” from the federal government “is not just frustrating — it’s dangerous.”
“First, we were told these drones were real but supposedly not a threat. Then we were told there were no drones at all, just unconfirmed sightings. After that, we were assured they were merely recreational drones, nothing to worry about,” Van Drew said in a statement to The Post on Thursday.
“Now, in the latest twist, despite claims now that there are no drones, we suddenly have flight restrictions in place over sensitive areas and authorization for the use of deadly force. It’s absurd, it’s contradictory, and it’s unacceptable,” the congressman added.
