Democrat Senator Calls For Mysterious Drones To Be Shot Down

A Democrat U.S. senator on Thursday called for the mysterious drones being sighted over multiple northeastern states to be shot down if they threaten sensitive areas. 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the U.S. government needed to take a more aggressive approach to responding to the drones and that it was “absolutely unacceptable” how little information people was being passed on to citizens. The drones have mainly been spotted in New Jersey, but there have also been sightings above nearby states like Connecticut and New York. 

“We should be doing some very smart intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Blumenthal said. “They should be shot down, if necessary, because they’re flying over sensitive areas.”

He said that his office had seen an influx of residents expressing concerns. 

“I’m hearing from constituents in the metropolitan area around New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, who are really terrified by these drones flying unidentified over airports and military bases,” Blumenthal said. 

New Jersey Republican Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew previously demanded the drones be shot down.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement on Thursday saying there was “no evidence” of a threat. 

“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” the statement said. “The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings.”

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Sen. Blumenthal also urged Americans not to buy Chinese-made drones. 

“Chinese manufactured drones are real and present a threat to the security of this country,”  he said. “We have to stop using them.”

The comments come as the Justice Department announced this week that a 39-year-old Chinese citizen had been arrested for allegedly flying a drone over the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and taking photos. The man, Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested by authorities before boarding a flight to China. 

“This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base’s layout, which is against the law,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.”