BELLINGHAM — Even as East Coast residents, politicians and law-enforcement officials are buzzing about drone sightings over New Jersey and other states, officials in Whatcom County — where the phenomenon was first noticed last summer — told The Bellingham Herald that there’s nothing new to say.
The Herald reported in August that residents west of Ferndale were concerned about drones flying over the Cherry Point industrial area, including the two oil refineries.
But whoever was piloting the drones has apparently gone into stealth mode.
“No reports since last summer,” Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deb Slater told The Herald in an email.
Officials at the FBI, which was investigating the sightings, had no additional comment.
“We do not have an update to provide on this topic,” the FBI’s Amy Alexander told The Herald in an email.
Law-enforcement officials were concerned about the refinery sightings because it’s illegal to fly over “critical infrastructure” such as nuclear facilities and defense industry plants, an FAA spokesperson told The Herald in August.
While Whatcom County skies have been quiet, air space on the Eastern Seaboard has been humming with activity, the Pentagon press secretary said in a televised briefing Tuesday.
Some 500 sightings sightings have been reported in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
“There’s over a million drones registered in the United States. And on any given day, approximately 8,500 drones are in flight. And so the vast majority of these drones are going to probably be recreational or hobbyist, Ryder said. “They’re going to be commercial drones, used in things like architecture, engineering, farming or they could be used for law enforcement. Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It’s entirely possible, but the vast majority, that is not the case.”
While government officials don’t seem too concerned about drone activity, some right-wing extremists are promoting conspiracy theories about them, the Anti-Defamation League reported in its Wednesday “Extremely” newsletter.
Last weekend, the nonprofit advocacy group Washington Gun Rights tweeted a meme to X (formerly Twitter). The image shows Vice President-elect JD Vance pointing a firearm at the sky. “Everyone in Washington waiting for the drones to fly over,” the meme said.
Law-enforcement officials are advising against that, however.
Perhaps because of Sedro-Woolley’s rough-and-tumble reputation, its police department posted that advice to Facebook.
“We are going to get out in front of this now before anything happens because we know our public. Please do not shoot at a drone in the city,” Sedro-Woolley Police said.
