(NewsNation) — The Federal Aviation Administration has issued flight restrictions on drones over parts of New Jersey after a large number of mysterious drone sightings have been reported all over the state.
The FAA temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said the flight restrictions were requested by federal security agencies and are effective through Jan. 17.
The FBI, the Homeland Security Department and state agencies have been investigating, but officials say there has been nothing so far to suggest that any drones have posed a national security or public safety threat.
The agency has warned that “deadly force” could be used against the drones if they pose an “imminent security threat,” and that the government is using “drone busters” to take down unauthorized flyers.
The agency said pilots who fail to abide by those restrictions could be “intercepted, detained, and interviewed by the law enforcement/security personnel.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Joshua S. Gottheimer of New Jersey has called on the agency to do a public briefing to explain the call to ban drones.
“Decisions like these made in a vacuum only lead to more confusion and uncertainty. These federal agencies must do better by Jersey families,” he said in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said the restrictions are out of an “abundance of caution,” without explaining further.
The agency also restricted uncrewed aircraft systems and certain flights.
Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents or clandestine operations by the U.S. government.
Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said it’s unlikely the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. He reiterated this week that the drones being reported are not being operated by the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
