The White House has ruled out foreign adversaries and hobbyists as the cause of the drone invasion in New Jersey, leaving many residents to speculate it could be aliens.
The internet has been flooded with images and videos showing bright orbs and triangle-shaped craft having in the night sky that move in bizarre flight patterns.
George Noory, host of Coast-to-Coast AM and a leading voice of the unexplained, told DailyMail.com: 'It's bizarre. There's something else very, very nefarious about this.'
The drones are avoiding capture, he said, adding, 'They shut their lights off, they are undetectable in some cases. It's very, very bizarre. This could be an act of war for all I know.'
But alien tech? Norry said it doesn't add up.
'I'm going to rule out extraterrestrial. It doesn't sound like that,' he said. 'It sounds more like a military effort than anything else.'
'I'm going to rule out extraterrestrial. It doesn't sound like that,' he said. 'It sounds more like a military effort than anything else.'
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the initial assessment is that 'this is not the work of a foreign adversary or a foreign entity.'
The FBI and Homeland Security are investigating, and politicians have conflicting takes.
White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said this week that many of the reported drones are manned aircraft being operated lawfully.
'A congressman out of New Jersey believes that there is an Iranian ship parked off the East Coast of the US and it is sending these drones over certain military bases, Donald Trump's golf course, and strange strategic locations,' Noory said.
The drones were first spotted in northern New Jersey, near Morris County, in November.
Residents said the drones gather in clusters at night and fly with their lights off. They appear to avoid detection by helicopter and radio.
'There's some helicopters that have been seen in the area, and these things seem to avoid those,' said Noory.
A few spots drones have surveyed: military research facility Picatinny Arsenal, President-elect Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster, and around critical infrastructure including water reservoirs, electrical transmission lines, police stations and military bases.
'Drones are legal as long as they're registered with the FAA and are allowed to fly around certain spots,' Noory said. 'But this is weird.'
There are some notable no-fly zones even for registered drones: around airports, military installations, certain landmarks, nuclear plants and stadiums during sports games.
Swarms of drones have been spotted in the skies of New Jersey for weeks, sparking officials to call for a 'limited state of emergency'
The FAA issued a temporary ban on flights over Trump's golf course and Picatinny Arsenal Military Base after requests from federal partners.
Noory said the fact that there's been no official statement on what's going on could mean the government doesn't want to worry U.S. citizens.
'Maybe there's something that's a little more nefarious, a little more dangerous and they don't want to alert and panic the public,' he continued.
'I'm hoping to God that our government is investigating this very thoroughly. I have to assume they are — they're just not letting us all know what's going on.'
'The other thing you've got to be concerned about is, drones carry missiles in some cases. Hope to God that these aren't warfare.'
One of the strangest parts of this story is the size of the reported drones, Noory said.
'They obviously are not from hobbyists. There's not a bunch of kids flying these little toys around,' he added.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is one of several politicians who have called for shooting down the drones if necessary.
Is that even possible? Would we have time to disable them? 'Oh, yeah, we've got the technology to take these out,' Noory says. 'There's no question.'
So, why is the government permitting them to stick around at this point? Will we get answers, or is this destined to remain another unexplained phenomenon?
'I think we may be watching them right now,' Noory says. 'But eventually, we're going to take action and probably start shooting these things down.'
Meanwhile, a Facebook group with 32.8K members and growing is buzzing with theories and concerns. One poster, Madison Leigh, said she'd heard reports the drones were leaving chemtrails.
For most folks, it's fear of the unknown that has them commenting and sharing stories on Facebook.
Jenna Diehl of Pohatcong, New Jersey posted that she saw hundreds of drones over her house in one night. 'These are not manmade drones. These are huge.'
'We are being watched and we are being invaded,' she wrote.
How to report a UFO
The more info, the better. If you're making a report be prepared with:
● The date, time, location, duration and a detailed description of the sighting.
● Photos or videos if you have them.
● Names and contact information of anyone else with you at the time who observed the event.
The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) is a civilian organization that's been collecting UFO data for decades. NUFORC shares info with various agencies. Submit a report here.
The Department of Defense's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has a reporting tool available for U.S. government employees, service members or contractors with direct knowledge of U.S. government programs or activities related to UAP. Submit a report here.
If you're worried there's an immediate threat, call your local law enforcement.