White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said reported drone sightings that sparked panic in New Jersey last month were drones authorized to fly by the Federal Aviation Administration and “not the enemy.

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.

Residents of New Jersey reacted with disbelief and frustration after the White House said mysterious drones seen in the skies were approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for research. The state has been the epicenter of a wave of drone sightings, some of them extremely large and some spotted near sensitive locations.