Ex-CIA staffer Laura Ballman offers ‘unsettling’ theory behind drones as feds dismiss concerns as ‘overreaction’

An ex-CIA staffer offered a chilling theory behind the “extremely unsettling” number of drones that continue to flood the Northeastern skies — as federal officials brush off public panic as an “overreaction.”

Former CIA operations officer Laura Ballman pressed the federal government to be more transparent about the mysterious drone sightings, theorizing that the disturbing phenomena might be part of a “classified exercise” mounted by the Biden Administration, during an interview with Fox News Live on Saturday.

“Now in terms of who is behind this, deducing the statements that have been made by John Kirby, who has said that these objects are not operating illegally coupled with the several op-eds that have been out the last 24 hours about the need to look at our detection systems, makes me think, perhaps, this is actually a classified exercise to test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas,” Ballman said.

“In terms of why the federal government would not be more forthcoming, I’ve actually been troubled by that. If I were in a position to advise on this, I would say it’s time to become more transparent.”

The eerie drone sightings have thrown New Jersey and New York residents into a frenzy for nearly a month – with the baffling public crisis starting with one sighting back on Nov. 19.

Since then, the number of drone sightings have ballooned to roughly 1,000 in New Jersey alone, according to state officials, with additional reports from across the nation soaring over the sudden appearance of mysterious flying objects in the airspace.

The feds, however, have said the drone sightings are actually just misidentified aircrafts like helicopters or Cessna planes, and pose no danger to people on the ground.

An FBI official offered a similar narrative while also dismissing the nationwide hysteria during a call hosted by senior Biden administration officials on Saturday, Fox News reported.

“We’re doing our best to find the origin of that specific…those drone activities,” the federal official said.

“But I think there has been a slight overreaction.”

He added that the FBI has received 5,000 tips – 100 of which warranted further investigation – since the first drone sighting in the Garden State.

An official with the Department of Defense noted that his agency has not gathered any intelligence that suggests the drones are “aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent,” the outlet reported.

“We have not been able to locate or identify the operators or the points of origin,” the DOD official said. 

Republican lawmakers, citing sources with high security clearances, have suggested the drones were Chinese, Iranian or Russian.

The Pentagon, however, has denied that any foreign country is behind the drones – which have been spotted flying near US military installations in New Jersey.

President-elect Donald Trump and several Republican members have called on the military to shoot down the drones for further inspection.

“Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.  

“Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!”