New Jersey Officials Challenge Federal Response to Mysterious Drone Activity Over Critical Infrastructure

Federal officials are facing mounting criticism from New Jersey local leaders over their handling of repeated drone sightings near critical infrastructure, with one mayor describing the federal response as increasingly dismissive of legitimate public safety concerns.

During a recent White House intergovernmental affairs briefing, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham expressed frustration with federal officials who continue to downplay or deny the drone activity that multiple New Jersey communities have reported.

“We’re getting tired of being insulted. I just got off a briefing with the White House Intergovernmental Affairs, and again, we’re being told that there is absolutely we’re seeing nothing here,” Melham said to NBC News, noting that residents and law enforcement have observed drones hovering as low as 100 feet over residential areas.

The situation has become particularly concerning near water infrastructure. One North Jersey mayor reported approximately 60 drones observed hovering over reservoir systems this past Sunday. The New Jersey State Police has confirmed these craft are operating without emitting standard radio frequencies, making traditional detection and intervention methods ineffective.

The apparent disconnect between federal and local authorities has created a problematic void in public communication. While federal officials maintain there are no national security threats, they simultaneously claim inability to identify the source of the aircraft.

“You can’t say ‘we have no idea what you’re seeing, but there’s no known threat.’ You just can’t have it both ways,” Melham emphasized. “I mean, we were told by our State Police that they know for a fact that these things are hovering over our critical infrastructure.”

The New Jersey State Police and Governor’s office have independently verified unusual characteristics of these craft, including observations of drones suddenly turning off their lights and disappearing from view. Despite these official confirmations, federal authorities continue to suggest residents may be misidentifying conventional aircraft.

While some reports may indeed be cases of misidentification, especially in the busy airspace near Newark International Airport, local law enforcement drone operators have captured video evidence they say definitively shows unauthorized drone activity. The inability to get clear answers has begun fueling speculation and conspiracy theories on social media.

Representative Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot representing the affected region, has proposed new legislation to improve drone identification capabilities and enhance public communication about authorized drone operations. However, Mayor Melham suggests the solution may be more complicated, noting that even MetLife Stadium’s sophisticated drone detection systems struggle to track these particular craft due to their lack of radio frequency emissions.

Melham theorizes these could potentially be undisclosed federal operations, suggesting, “I’m no longer worried about who the drones belong to. I’m more concerned with what they’re doing up there. Are they potentially sniffing for something because they keep flying in a grid-like pattern?”

The situation highlights growing tensions between federal oversight of national airspace and local government responsibility for public safety and critical infrastructure protection. As unauthorized drone activity continues to be reported, the lack of transparent communication between federal and local authorities risks further eroding public trust in drone security measures.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​