A New Jersey mayor suggested Tuesday that recent drone sightings over the state may be connected to missing radioactive material, even as federal officials insist the amount involved poses no significant threat.
Belleville Mayor Michael Melham speculated that the drones, which have been spotted flying in grid-like patterns over Essex County, appear to be “looking for something.”
“What might they be looking for? Maybe that’s radioactive material,” Melham said on Good Day New York.
“It was a shipment. It arrived at its destination. The container was damaged, and it was empty,” he added.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an alert earlier this week regarding a piece of medical equipment used for cancer scans that went “missing in transit” on Dec. 2. The device was being shipped from the Nazha Cancer Center in Newfield, Gloucester County, in southern New Jersey.
The equipment in question, an Eckert & Ziegler model HEGL-0132, was scheduled for disposal. However, when the shipping container arrived at its destination, it was found to be damaged and empty.
The NRC explained that the missing item, known as a “pin source,” contains a small amount of Germanium-68, a radioactive material used to calibrate PET scanners for cancer imaging. The quantity of radiation is considered lower than a Category 3 on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s scale, meaning it is “very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals.”
Despite federal reassurances, speculation has surged on social media linking the drones to the missing radioactive equipment. John Ferguson, CEO of a Kansas-based remote-aircraft systems company, added to the theory in a viral video, viewed nearly 3 million times on X.
“The only reason why you would ever fly an unmanned aircraft at night is if you’re looking for something,” Ferguson said in the video, suggesting the drones could be searching for “a gas leak, radioactive material, or something else.” Ferguson emphasized that he doesn’t believe the drones pose a public safety threat.
The speculation intensified after podcaster Joe Rogan shared Ferguson’s clip and admitted it left him “very concerned” about the drone sightings.
Residents and lawmakers in the tri-state area have expressed frustration with the lack of clear explanations from the federal government regarding the month-long drone activity.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has sought to calm concerns, asserting that the drones pose no immediate public safety threat and attributing many sightings to manned aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI announced on Monday that they are deploying drone detection technology and infrared cameras to determine whether the drones pose any potential risk.
