CAMP PENDLETON — Following increasing reports from residents in New Jersey and other East Coast cities about mysterious large drones in the skies at night, reports have circulated in recent days from residents in Temecula who say they’re seeing similar unexplained flying objects hovering over the desert city.
There’s no word on who is flying them or why, and there is no indication of any illegal activity. But given the attention generated by the East Coast drone sightings, the reports have some residents on edge.
One person in Temecula posted a video on TikTok earlier this week, showing several illuminated drones hovering over the area.
“There’s so many. There’s like 10. And they’re all over the city,” the person can be heard saying on the video.
Officials at Camp Pendleton, which is in northern San Diego County, issued a statement this week saying it is aware of residents reporting drone flights, but none of the drones are associated with the military base.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco suggested on a local radio show this week that Southern California Edison could be flying drones in the area. The utility, however, while acknowledging that it does use drones to inspect its infrastructure, insisted it does not fly them at night.
ALIEN INVASION IN CALIFORNIA?
More sightings continue to pour in of possible #UAP #Drones flying over California. #SanFernando #OrangeCounty #Riverside all adding to a list of disturbing videos of low flying car-sized drones stalking California neighborhoods and military bases.… pic.twitter.com/eKQ0in36Ok— CAL WIRE (@calwireupdates) December 15, 2024
Responding to increased numbers of reports of drone activity, the Federal Aviation Administration even issued a statement Friday offering guidelines for people who fly the devices.
“More and more people are using drones, which means more people are noticing them in the sky,” according to the FAA statement.
The agency noted that it investigates “all reports of unsafe operations” of drones. “However, you don’t need specific authorization from the FAA to fly drones in most locations.”
Any drone weighing more than a half-pound must be registered with the FAA, and it must have a registration number displayed on the device. People who fly drones at night must have a drone pilot certificate and be equipped with lights.
NEW: Last night the “drones” made their way to Los Angeles, California
** Resident films a lot of “drones” over the city. They’re seen over Downtown Los Angeles and Koreatown Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/ro2o5aPumg— Major Anthony Jones (@majorbrainpain) December 14, 2024
However, in general, flying a drone at altitudes less than 400 feet is generally permitted as long as it is not within controlled airspace around an airport or over military bases or national security facilities.
“You can land a drone anywhere provided the landing area is safe and is not prohibited by local, state or federal laws,” according to the FAA.
The information provides little comfort to the people spotting the drones in Temecula who want answers about who is responsible for them.
“I don’t think it’s regular off-the-shelf drones that (are being) flown around here,” resident Bryan Dirkes told Fox LA. “Based on what we saw, it was a pretty good size, almost the size of a small vehicle or car.”
Federal officials issued a statement Thursday in response to the drone activity reported in the New Jersey area, saying there is “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
In a Dec. 17 joint statement released by the FBI, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and FAA in response to the nationwide drone sightings, federal officials said they are currently investigating all leads.
“The FBI has received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports,” the joint statement said. “Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers.
“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, law enforcement drones, manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”
