Mystery Behind New Jersey Drone Sightings Has Been Solved, White House Claims: ‘This Was Not the Enemy'

The White House claims that the objects seen in the skies over New Jersey in late 2024 were drones authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced at a briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 28, that the objects spotted by dozens of people were drones being used “for research and various other reasons.”

Many of the drones “were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones,” added Leavitt, who is now the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary.

“In time, it got worse due to curiosity,” Leavitt said, reading a statement from President Donald Trump. “This was not the enemy.”

When reached for comment, the FAA deferred PEOPLE to the White House.

A limited state of emergency was issued in December banning the use of all drones until the public received an explanation about the sightings, which began in November.

In a joint statement released on Dec. 13, The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said the aircrafts are being “operated lawfully” and that there currently "are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. "

Law enforcement did not uncover any "malicious activity or intent" in connection with the sightings, and there was “no evidence” of a possible national security or public safety threat, they added.

Related: Drones Banned for Weeks in Parts of New Jersey Due to ‘Special Security Reasons'

A few days later, the agencies said many of the objects reportedly sighted above New Jersey were actually "manned aircraft being misidentified as drones."

At the time, a DHS official said authorities had “not identified any basis for believing that there’s any criminal activity involved, that there’s any national security threat, that there’s any particular public safety threat or that there’s a malicious foreign actor involved in these drones,” CNBC, Newsweek and The Guardian reported at the time.

Related: N.J. Naval Station Reports Drones Entered Airspace as Officials Say There's 'No Evidence' They Pose a Threat

The FBI previously said it received 5,000 reports about the drone sightings through mid-December.

Before taking office, then-President-elect Trump claimed on Dec. 16 that the U.S. government "knows what is happening" regarding the drone sightings, according to Fox News.

The next day, then-President Joe Biden said the drones were “nothing nefarious” and claimed there was “no sense of danger," NBC News reported

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