Andrew Wilkow says a drone might have crashed near his house as White House denies rumors New Jersey drones are a threat to national security

New Jersey resident and SiriusXM Patriot host Andrew Wilkow recently claimed that a drone could have crashed near his house in light of the numerous drones seen in the state over the past few weeks. His claim came after the White House, on December 12, 2024, stated that the drones pose no threat to national security.

That same day, Wilkow took to X to claim that his wife notified him that police and television crew were swarming his neighborhood, speculating whether a drone crashed near his house.

"My wife just texted me that police have blocked both ends of the road behind our house and TV camera crews are swarming.....That a drone may have crashed back there," he tweeted.

Minutes later, he posted that his wife had updated him about the situation, adding the police and TV crew had left the premises. He said their visit might be unrelated to the drone but added that his wife could hear the machines buzzing around their community.

"Update from my wife. Police and cameras are gone. No explanation. Might be unrelated to drones. But she says they a buzzing all over the place in the sky right now," the following tweet read.

He also added a picture of the night sky from his deck, which shows a drone in action.

Andrew Wilkow is not the only New Jersey resident who spotted a drone flying overhead in the past few weeks. According to the BBC, US Congressman Jeff Van Drew and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal made similar claims, asking that authorities investigate the situation.

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The drones are reportedly flying close to sensitive military locations

According to BBC, dozens of drones have been spotted by New Jersey residents since November 2024. Many claim the machines were flying close to sensitive locations, including military bases and President-elect Donald Trump's golf course.

US Congressman Jeff Van Drew claimed he heard from "high sources" that the machines were sent by an "Iranian mothership" stationed in the Atlantic. In a recent interview with Fox News, he urged they should be "shot down."

"That mothership... is off the East Coast of the United States of America. They've launched drones into everything that we can see or hear. These are from high sources. I don't say this lightly," Jeff Van Drew said.

However, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary, Sabrina Singh, dismissed his claims in a briefing on Wednesday. She said the allegations were "untrue" and added, "These are not drones coming from a foreign entity or adversary." She also said the US military did not issue the machines.

John Kirby, the White House National Security spokesman, backed her statement, adding there was "no evidence" the machines posed a threat to national security.

"We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus," he said.

The FBI and Homeland Department also issued a joint statement regarding the issue. They said they were investigating the situation to confirm whether the reported sightings were "actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings."

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Drones were allegedly "SUV-sized"

According to ABC, several witnesses who spotted the machines claimed they were "SUV-sized." In a December 12 interview with CNN, Tony Perry, Middletown's mayor, claimed residents spotted over 40 drones flying over his town one night.

"I'm not sure how anyone can just sit there and say that there's no imminent threat. I don't think the federal government has taken it seriously to date," he said.

He added they were allegedly huge and flew at a speed of 96 to 110 kilometers per hour. Another witness, New Jersey Legislature Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, claimed they were 1.8 meters in diameter in a post on X.

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Owning a drone in the US is legal, provided the operators are FAA-certified. Drone owners must also abide by the FAA guidelines and regulations to fly their machines legally.

According to the BBC, the FAA has issued temporary flight restrictions in areas like Bedminster and Picatinny while the issue is investigated. The organization also warned drone operators that they would face a $75,000 fine or have their licenses revoked if they undertook "unsafe or dangerous operations" with their machines.