DHS secretary calls for more money to track drones
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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at an Axios summit last month. Photo: Eric Lee/Axios
The head of the Homeland Security Department said Monday that a preliminary investigation of suspicious drone activity in New Jersey has found no evidence of a specific threat, but he urged Congress to give the agency more money and authority to defend against threats.
The big picture: Waves of reports of mystery drones in the sky in states including New Jersey, New York and Virginia have raised public concern, and lawmakers have urged they be investigated.
"We know of no threat," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Axios, adding that various agencies, led by the FBI, are investigating.
- "Thus far, we haven't seen any true cause for concern," he said.
- Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters earlier in the day there is no evidence "the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus."
The latest: Four federal agencies — the Pentagon, FBI, DHS and FAA — doubled down Monday night on declaring that there are no credible threats from drones flying over civilian airspace.
- "We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones," the agencies said in a joint statement.
Mayorkas noted that there are thousands of registered drones flying each day in the U.S, but said it's unclear what is causing the spike of sightings.
- "They might be more visible now, I'm not exactly sure," he said, adding that some people are also mistaking small aircraft for drones and that the online chatter is further intensifying the situation.
- "I am concerned it is feeding on itself," he said, adding that he understands "people are nervous."
Zoom out: Mayorkas said the scare raises broader concerns about a lack of both resources and legislative authority needed to address the growing threats posed by drones that fly over American airspace.
- "We need Congress to better resource the departments that are involved in this," he said. "State and local authorities need the ability to detect and counter any malicious drone activity with appropriate safeguards."
- Surveillance tools and counter-drone weaponry used outside of the U.S. — at military bases abroad, or on Ukraine's front lines — are different from what's in use here.
- "We don't conduct intelligence on U.S. citizens," the Pentagon's Ryder said. But "if there is a threat, there are certain measures that we can take, some passive, some active, in terms of detection."
Between the lines: While some have suggested problems in communication among federal agencies are contributing to the drone fears, Mayorkas said he isn't seeing that as an obstacle. "It's effective right now," he said.
