Why It Matters The reports were especially alarming as witnesses described “swarms” of objects observed in proximity to critical infrastructure such as airports and power plants. The frenzy disrupted air traffic and ultimately led to an official state of emergency. The scale and persistence of the activity led to a federal response, including FAA flight restrictions, an FBI investigation, and even governors, senators and the White House weighing in.

Timeline of Events

• Mid-November 2024: First sightings across New Jersey and the tri-state area.
• Early December: Reports surged; press coverage amplified the panic; governors and mayors issued statements.
• December 17: DHS, DoD, FBI, and FAA issued a joint statement acknowledging limited incursions over military facilities and announced deployment of detection technology and trained observers. President Biden stated that while “We’re following it closely” that the White House had seen “nothing nefarious.”
• December 18: FAA implemented a temporary ban on drone flights .
• Late December: Public debate intensified; theories about foreign actors and “motherships” spread online.
• January 2025: The White House released a statement attributing the wave to authorized FAA activity and hobbyist drones.
• February 2025: The wave of reports subsided, but FBI investigations remained ongoing.

Mixed Messages As the reports surged in early December, local officials voiced serious concern. Belleville Mayor Michael Melham stated, “These drones are huge.” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Francescon warned, “This is absolutely a national security threat.” Presidential candidate Donald Trump commented, “Something strange is going on,” while Senator Jon Bramnick added, “If the Department of Defense doesn’t know what these are, then we are in trouble.” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Senator Cory Booker, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan also expressed frustration and alarm over the mysterious unidentified flying objects.

Yet the White House statements conflicted with this concern. White House spokesperson John Kirby insisted, “Many of the craft are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully,” and claimed no restricted airspace incursions had been confirmed.

Then on December 17, a joint statement between the DHS, DoD, FBI, and FAA acknowledged “a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space.” To respond, officials deployed advanced detection technology and trained observers to the region.

In January 2025, the Trump Administration stated: “After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.”

Drone Incursions in Context Unidentified drone sightings are not new. In late 2019 and early 2020, rural Colorado and Nebraska saw weeks of unexplained drone formations flying in grid patterns, some in groups of six or more, prompting investigations by the FAA, local sheriffs, and the Air Force, though no culprit was ever found.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, there were reports of unknown drones across U.S. military bases, nuclear facilities, and sensitive training areas, including repeated incursions at sites in Arizona like Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma. In 2024 the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) tracked over 350 unidentified drone incursions near restricted military airspace.

Enigma was the only public site cataloging sightings in real time and making them freely accessible. Our interactive map of the reported New Jersey incursion received 2 million views .

Public Speculation and Theories As these reports multiplied in November - December, speculation took on a life of its own.

The psychological tenor of this moment echoed a historical New Jersey panic, when the 1938 “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast narrated by Orson Welles led thousands to believe a Martian invasion was underway. Just as that event showed the power of mass media to shape public perception, this drone frenzy was a reminder of how fast information spreads in the age of algorithmic amplification.

Questions swirled about the origin, intent, and coordination behind the mysterious formations. Were they foreign surveillance operations, undisclosed U.S. military activity, or something more unconventional? Theories proliferated—ranging from:

• U.S. Covert Operations: Large stealth drones, possibly tied to Department of Energy missions to locate lost or stolen radioactive material.
• Foreign Adversaries: Some speculated about drone swarms from China or Iran, but these claims were denied by the Pentagon .
• Mass Delusion: With social media driving more reports, some described the event as a classic case of mass psychological delusion.
• Otherworldly craft: Others insisted something truly unusual was happening and that the objects might be interdimensional or extraterrestrial in origin. Some claimed a “mothership ” was seen hovering over the Atlantic, serving as a launch platform for smaller craft. This fueled both the otherworldly theories as well as suspicions of adversaries like China or Iran conducting surveillance.

Even after officials declared the activity “authorized,” the public remained unconvinced about what had occurred.

Enigma Reports Enigma provided the sole platform where citizens could both report what they were seeing and freely access other eyewitness accounts in real time. Between November 20 through February 3, we received 860+ reports and approved 668, spanning New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Of those, 480 came from the tri-state (NY, PA, NJ) area alone.

We also received 240+ reports across New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont); 256 across the Midwest (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee); and 211 across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia).

850+ "Drone" sightings reported to Enigma

Reporting activity peaked in early December, likely driven by media coverage that began between December 3 and 6. This coverage also undoubtedly drove copycat hobbyist drone activity, further contributing to an increase in misidentifications. After the FAA imposed a local drone ban on December 18th, reported sightings to Enigma dropped by 44 percent, suggesting the restrictions curbed hobbyist drone activity. It is worth noting that Enigma received 48 independent witness reports before any media coverage or public attention began.

Enigma sightings timeline

Quotes Swipe below for excerpts from Enigma skywatchers. Several of these witnesses are military veterans or aviation professionals, lending weight to their observations. Some reports challenge the official explanation of “ordinary activity,” describing unusually large aerial objects, swarms or formations, extended hovering, and sightings near military sites.

Analysis Enigma conducted a statistical analysis of submitted and approved eyewitness accounts. Below, we delve into the patterns:

Reports Near Military Sites 364 unique reports were within 25 miles of military sites, including Picatinny Arsenal (NJ), Naval Weapons Station Earle (NJ), Fort Hamilton (NY), Fort Monmouth (NJ), Naval Station Newport (RI).undefined

Point of Origin While no single pattern emerged, several witnesses reported objects along the coast, with multiple accounts of crafts observed hovering above or near the ocean.

Resolution Federal statements eventually attributed most sightings to misidentified drones, hobbyist flights, and manned aircraft. Still, the same agencies that had previously acknowledged concerning activity over military sites, continued to investigate despite their public assurances.

As of 2025, the FBI has not issued any report on their findings.

This was just the latest in a series of incursions in U.S. airspace reported by our skywatchers. It underscored the lack of trusted sources and how critical it is to have a hub focused on aerial activity like Enigma. The skies are getting busier every day, and incidents like the NJ drone frenzy highlight the increasingly complex operational, legal, and geopolitical questions that define airspace.

Below you can delve into a curated media gallery and list of our eyewitness’ accounts: