The mysterious drones that caused alarm among many New Jersey residents last year were in large part authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, the White House said Tuesday. The large number of unexplained nighttime drone sightings in New Jersey and other East Coast states created a panic which at one point shut down an airport.

"This was not the enemy," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement on New Jersey's mysterious drone sightings.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a highly anticipated explanation for the mass sightings of unusual aircraft around New Jersey over the past couple of months before turning to questions at her first press briefing of the new term.

Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the drones were for research purposes and 'not the enemy.'

The White House is providing an explanation for the drones that were spotted over New Jersey, and all along the East Coast, over the past several months.

Research company Enigma Labs said it has tallied 650 sightings nationally described as drone-related since November, with most concentrated in the Northeast.

The drones seen flying over New Jersey were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, the White House said on Tuesday. The drones were seen not only over the Garden State but over other states in November, Fox News reported.

On social media, users shared theories that range from foreign interference to UFOs to hobbyist activity. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said there was no evidence" the reported drone sightings posed a threat to national security or public safety or had any foreign connection.

(Gray News) - The drones that flew across New Jersey in recent months were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “The drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt said Tuesday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she had an update on the drones to relay “directly” from President Donald Trump.

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