Drone mystery befuddles New Jersey officials, frustrates residents
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at the daily press briefing at the White House on July 15 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday said the government doesn't have the authority to shoot down drones and believes reports of some sightings are cases of mistaken identity.
Mayorkas appeared on CNN when he was asked about why the federal government doesn't take down one of the many drones that have been spotted across multiple states in recent weeks.
“Our authorities are very limited,” Mayorkas told CNN host Wolf Blitzer, citing missions involving unmanned aircraft conducted by various federal agencies. "We have various authorities that are discreet to their particular missions. We can't just shoot a drone out of the sky."
Mayorkas said officials believe reported drone sightings are “cases of mistaken identity” where drones are actually small aircraft “where people are misidentifying them," noting that some can be purchased at "convenience stores."
