One of the world’s most popular podcast hosts is uneasy about the unidentified drones spotted in the tri-state area.
Joe Rogan revealed to his millions of followers that he is “genuinely concerned” about the aircraft after hearing of a theory that they might be attempting to sniff out and identify harmful substances. The unverified hypothesis comes from the CEO of a remote aircraft system company based in Kansas.
On Saturday, the CEO of Saxon Unmanned, John Ferguson, speculated on TikTok that the mysterious drones could be trying to “smell” a gas leak or even “radioactive material.”
“The only reason why you would ever fly an unmanned aircraft at night is if you’re looking for something,” Ferguson said on the social media app.
“So my belief is they’re trying to smell something on the ground — gas leaks, radioactive material, whatever,” he said, per the New York Post.
Ferguson is not just another amateur hobbyist theorizing online. He is a military veteran with “over 25 years of experience in terrestrial and subsea remote system technology in the energy, infrastructure, and security industries,” according to Saxon’s website.
For his part, Ferguson says the theory is his best guess. He also maintains the drones are likely not nefarious.
The drones spotted over New Jersey and other areas are not the only sightings as of late. Last month, The Dallas Express reported that the Pentagon was investigating suspicious drone activity near U.S. military installations overseas. Swarms of small drones were also seen over multiple military bases in the United Kingdom.
On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump addressed the domestic drone drama, stating they should be shot down unless the government can identify who is operating them.
While National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that drones are not a public safety concern, Rogan called the claims “sus.”
On Sunday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed that the increase in sightings is partly due to relaxed regulations about drone usage at night.
“Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones… Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones. And we do see duplicative reporting,” he said.
Despite lacking details, Mayorkas says Homeland Security has deployed personnel and technology to surveil the crafts.
“If there is any reason for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American people accordingly,” he told NBC News on December 15.