New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the federal government will deploy a "state-of-the-art drone detection system" to the state amid increasing reports of the objects in the sky.
"This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations," Hochul said.
The deployment comes days after Hochul said runways at Stewart Airfield in Upstate New York were forced to shut down for about an hour due to drone activity.
"This has gone too far," Hochul said.
Where are the drones coming from?
While public officials have said that the drones do not pose a threat, no one has been able to say where they are coming from.
In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said, "We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast and we are vigilant in investigating this matter."
Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones since November.
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At first, the drones were spotted flying along the scenic Raritan River, a waterway that feeds the Round Valley Reservoir, the state's largest aquifer, about 50 miles west of New York City. However, the sightings have become more widespread, including over military installations
and President-elect Donald Trump's Bedminster resort.
Trump claimed on Monday that the government "knows what's happening" but he insisted that it wants to "keep people in suspense."
"For some reason, they don't want to tell the people," he said.
Hochul has since called on Washington lawmakers to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act.
She says the bill would give states more power to counter the drones.
“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential. Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people," Hochul said.
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What's next?
Mayorkas told ABC News that the federal government has "deployed additional resources, personnel, (and) technology" to help the New Jersey State Police address the sightings.
The strings of sightings could also prompt the Federal Aviation Administration to take action, too, according to retired Navy captain and aeronautical engineer Armen Kurdian.
"At some point, the FAA, local governments, local law enforcement are going to have to get a lot more strict and a lot more tight about drones that are allowed to fly by perhaps registering them, making sure that they're identified, (enforcing) restricted areas where drones can fly, and having the counter unmanned system technology, such as that if you see a drone in an area that it shouldn't be, then you can basically bring it down safely, capture the signal and land it," Kurdian said.
