In 2024, mysterious drones flew over New Jersey, keeping Americans on the lookout. New documents obtained by The War Zone through the Freedom of Information Act reveal what law enforcement officers on the ground actually saw.
Reports indicate that officers observed large unidentified drones flying in coordinated formations, sometimes more than a dozen.
Some reports mention that these drones flew over critical infrastructure, including water reservoirs, power substations, research laboratories, and military bases.
In one incident, several drones forced a New Jersey State Police medevac helicopter to abort its landing, while several others appeared to follow the helicopter to another location.
Air traffic controllers reported unidentified drones in restricted airspace near Trenton-Mercer Airport at speeds of up to 170 miles per hour.
Some drones were fixed-wing or triangular, larger than consumer drones, some the size of a small car, and potentially capable of jamming radar. Thousands of pages of emails, police reports, and memos show warnings that the drones could be military and could carry explosives.
When Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, his administration stated that drones had been approved by the FAA for research and other purposes, without providing further details. But the documents paint a more complex picture of the “New Jersey drone scare” than has been publicly disclosed.
Police reports indicate that the drones were flying in groups and following similar paths over critical infrastructure. They were first reported in Morris County near Picatinny Arsenal and over Trump's golf course in Bedminster.
On November 18, 2024, Watchung Police Captain Sheriff Zaiton warned of “illegal drone flights” across the county. The next day, Peapack-Gladstone Police Chief Stephen Ferrante confirmed that multiple reports of large drones had already arrived in the area.
Local police were working with county authorities, the New Jersey State Police and the FBI. The drones were described as much larger than hobby models and potentially highly dangerous.
On November 24, police reported over 13 drones flying over a reservoir and water plant for nearly half an hour. Several drones were seen interfering with emergency operations, forcing a medevac helicopter to change location.
The drones had unusual shapes and flashed red and white lights, and some used sophisticated technology to jam radar. In December, three drones were seen over the parking lot of the Federal Reserve building in East Rutherford, one of them the size of a small car.
Despite the large number of reports, no arrests were made and no one publicly identified the drone operators. Most of the sightings were later mistakenly attributed to celestial objects or other aircraft, but documents show that officers often encountered unusual aerial activity that they could not immediately explain.
These reports show the great uncertainty and mystery that surrounded drone activity over New Jersey during the winter of 2024 – a mystery that still does not have a full answer. /GazetaExpress/
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