FBI, DHS Deploy Drone Surveillance Tech to N.Y. Area

Amid the drone uproar in the New York and New Jersey area, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have reportedly deployed infrared cameras and drone detection technology to vet the security risks of the drones.

While Biden administration officials have mostly dismissed the situation as an "overreaction," New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for federal government surveillance technology, and a law enforcement source told ABC News the technology is now deployed to ensure the drones are not harmful.

"In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are sending a drone detection system to New York," Hochul wrote Sunday on X. "I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones."

In addition to the physical technology, the FBI and DHS are reviewing social media photos to determine the origins and scale of the drones being reported, the law enforcement source told ABC News.

Despite the Biden administration's downplaying it, Washington Township, New Jersey, Mayor Matthew Murello told "Good Morning America" he believes "something's going on."

"I'm not trying to stir anything up, but we all know — if you just turn on the television — that drones can be used in an aggressive fashion," he said. "They can carry payloads. They can be used for all kinds of really aggressive-type things."

Sitting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has joined Hochul's call for the federal government to "deploy special drone-detection" technology.

"I'm pushing for answers amid these drone sightings," Schumer wrote on X. "I'm calling for @SecMayorkas to deploy special drone-detection tech across NY and NJ.

"And I'm working to pass a bill in the Senate to give local law enforcement more tools for drone detection."

• Fmr CIA Officer: Drones May Be 'Classified Exercise' by Govt
• Fred Fleitz to Newsmax: Larger Drones Likely From Military, CIA