A New Jersey military base has revealed the sinister reason behind “several” drone incursions over the past year.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Broadhurst County claims the increased drone incidents are related to attempts to smuggle contraband into a federal prison within the base’s perimeter.
The base, commonly referred to as McGuire AFB, is home to a low-security facility, the FCI Fort Dix Prison, which houses the largest inmate population of any federal prison in the US.
“There have been multiple drone detections this year involving attempts to smuggle contraband into the federal correctional facility on our base,” base spokesperson Kitsana R. Dounglomchan said. The war zone.
However, Dounglomchan explains that the airspace directly above the joint base enforces “standing flight restrictions,” which prohibit drones or other aircraft from operating without permission.
The unauthorized use of drones in recent years has been linked to attempts to sneak contraband, including cell phones, cell phone accessories, weight loss supplements and other prohibited items, into the facility.
The base, located about 20 miles south of Trenton, “takes every matter seriously” and “aggressively coordinates” with local law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of the site.
Several countermeasures have been implemented to detect unauthorized drone use in the restricted airspace, as many have tried to outwit the military using blackout tactics to dim onboard lighting, making the drones harder to spot.
A military base in New Jersey has revealed the sinister reason why it has experienced ‘multiple’ drone incursions in the past year. Pictured: Several drones were spotted flying over New Jersey skies earlier this month
A spokesperson for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (pictured) in Broadhurst County claims the increased drone incidents are related to attempts to smuggle contraband into a federal prison within the base’s perimeter.
In recent months, the Garden State has been plagued by thousands of unexplained drone sightings, while more than 5,000 reports of unusual drone prevalence have been filed with federal law enforcement agencies.
McGuire himself has been influenced by the public’s reaction to the sightings, as pilots have reported being hit by lasers fired from the ground starting on December 7.
However, all affected pilots managed to land safely, although one pilot required medical treatment.
Officials continue to say they do not know the identities of the perpetrators, but President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that his administration is “closely” monitoring the issue.
“We are monitoring this closely, but so far there is no sign of danger,” the 82-year-old said at a White House briefing. “There’s a lot of drones authorized up there.”
“I think one of them started it and they all – everyone wanted in on the deal,” he added, apparently pointing to a “copycat” theory as a possible source for the copious drone sightings.
The base declined to reveal the full extent of countermeasures taken to disrupt the flow of aerial contraband, but said drone smuggling is a “long-standing challenge.”