Mysterious drones have been spotted flying over parts of New Jersey and several other US states, leading to pressure on federal and state authorities to find out what is behind these unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sightings.
The questions surrounding the night-time sightings have also triggered internet sleuths to theorise, with a Facebook page dedicated to solving the "New Jersey Mystery Drones" reaching over 70,000 members.
As Donald Trump argues they should be shot down, here's what we know about these mystery drones.
Where have these drones been spotted?
Reports of drones being spotted in New Jersey stretch back to last month.
Drones were first seen flying along the Raritan River, about 80 kilometres west of New York City.
It didn't take long for sightings to be reported statewide, including over a military research and manufacturing facility as well as president-elect Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster.
But sightings in recent days have spread to include Maryland, Massachusetts and other US states.
Sightings have also been reported in New York City, resulting in the runways at Stewart International Airport being shut down for about an hour on Friday night.
How are drones regulated?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the federal government agency which regulates civil aviation, including drone activity.
The flying of drones for recreational and commercial use is legal in New Jersey, but it's subject to local and FAA regulations and flight restrictions.
In New York City, a permit is required to take off or land a drone.
According to the FAA's website, recreational drone operators are allowed to fly up to 400 feet in uncontrolled airspaces.
All drone operators must be FAA-certified.
What are authorities saying?
Authorities don't know what is behind the drone sightings.
But, they have stressed that these drones are not a public safety threat and added most of the recent reported sightings in New Jersey and surrounding states involved a manned aircraft.
An FBI official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the public concern was understandable but added there had been a "slight overreaction".
The official said less than 100 of the over 5,000 reported sightings had merit for further investigation, according to Reuters.
Last week, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said the military's initial assessment — that the drones were not of foreign origin — remained unchanged.
While the White House, the FBI and the Pentagon continue investigations, the Biden administration has come under criticism from political opponents over the handling of this drone saga.
Trump has called for the drones to be shot down, while the governors of New Jersey, Maryland and New York have asked for more answers from the federal government.
Trump's pick for national security adviser Mike Waltz said these sighting showed the gaps in US airspace security that need to be closed.
"President Trump has talked about an Iron Dome for America," Mr Waltz said, referring to Israel's missile defence system.
"That needs to include drones as well, not just adversarial actions like hypersonic missiles."
New Jersey congressman Chris Smith has also urged the Pentagon to authorise the use of force to bring down the drones to try to figure out who sent them.
He said the drones could be downed over the ocean or in an unpopulated area on land.
"Why can't we bag at least one of these drones and get to the bottom of it?" Mr Smith said.
Similarly, another Republican Jersey Shore-area congressman, Jeff Van Drew, called for the military to shoot down the drones.
However, experts have warned against shooting at anything in the sky.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said people should not take it into their own hands to shoot down drones, which would break state and federal laws.
Calls for new legislation
Democratic senator Chuck Schumer has called for action to make it easier for federal, state and local authorities to work together to detect and "bring down" any drones seen to pose a threat.
Senator Schumer also asked Homeland Security to immediately deploy special drone-detection technology across New York and New Jersey, since traditional radars struggle to detect small objects such as drones.
On Sunday, Boston police announced that two Massachusetts men had been arrested the previous night for allegedly conducting a "hazardous drone operation" near the city's Logan International Airport.
Authorities said state police were conducting a search for a third suspect who fled the scene.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby echoed calls for new legislation to "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities".
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Sunday that authorities had agreed to send a drone detection system to her state.
"I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones," she said on social media platform X.
[embed]ABC/Wires
