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White Settlement drone sightings under federal probe
White Settlement police say they are working with the FBI, and other federal investigators to learn more about possible drone sightings within the city.
WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas - White Settlement police say they are working with the FBI, NCIS and Air Force to learn more about possible drone sightings within the city.
White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook says a homeowner reported seeing mystery drones over her White Settlement home around 8 p.m. Tuesday.
"A woman said there was a formation of six drones that were flying away from some of the federal military properties nearby," he said.
White Settlement is also home to military installations like the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.
Officers already in the reported area spotted the aircraft and recorded it on their phones.
"Unfortunately, we lost sight of them near the… there’s a national guard armory on Shoreview and a park over there," Cook said. "Then about 40 minutes later, we ended up getting a second call about multiple drones along Bomber Road. Again, officers filmed some of that with their cell phones to try to get a better view of what was flying around. They were about 100-200 feet off the ground is the estimate. But, again, very close to military federal properties. So it’s a no-fly zone in our city. So it’s very concerning."
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Drone sightings leaving residents on edge
A number of people from coast to coast are reporting seeing drones hovering in the sky. U.S. officials insist that many of the sightings are of manned aircrafts.
Chief Cook says the officers lost sight of the drones again. Yet, some two hours later around 10:30 p.m., there were more sightings of more drones.
Drone sightings were reported near Bomber Road, Silver Creek and North Las Vegas Trail.
Officers talked to security teams at military and federal properties to try to find the pilot of the vehicles.
READ MORE: Texas drone expert believes government is behind mystery flights
The chief points out that considering the national narrative surrounding mysterious drone sightings on the East Coast, the FBI and other federal law enforcement are also involved, now poised and devoting resources to the North Texas sightings.
"What’s most concerning to us, you see cases around the country where there’s been improper photography, improper, videography, intelligence gathering. I’m not saying that’s what’s happening here. We just don’t know, and it’s concerning because it’s a no-fly zone," Cook said. "There are criminal and civil penalties that a person or persons can face by doing it. This is not a joke; it’s not a game. Getting close to federal military properties is a very serious allegation. We’re hopeful someone will give us a tip if they see this information and let us know who is behind this."
White Settlement Police asks anyone with information to call 817-246-4973 or 817-246-7070.
Drone Sightings Across The US
The sightings in White Settlement come as there is an uptick reported drone sightings by residents across the U.S., especially on the east coast.
U.S. officials have sought to emphasize that the aircraft in question are not, in fact, a national security threat. Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, stressed to reporters during a briefing Tuesday that the drones are not any sort of government asset, and ruled out the notion that they were any part of "experimental program" being tested by the U.S.
READ MORE: FBI warns New Jersey residents not to shoot down drones or point lasers at aircraft
In a joint statement Monday, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense said that, while they "recognize the concern" from the general public, there is no evidence that the drones are "anomalous" or a threat to public safety or to U.S. national security.