A post shared on social media purportedly shows an image of a recovered drone that was spotted in New Jersey.

Breaking News:
Crashed #drone in Orange Beach retrieved from water, and taken to undisclosed location for further investigation.#dronesoverNJ #DroneInvasionUSA pic.twitter.com/yadczDRbQn

— 🇺🇲Tea.Party.Patriot.1776🇺🇲 (@T3aPartyPatriot) December 18, 2024

Verdict: False

The photo shows a replica of a vehicle from the Star Wars franchise.

Fact Check:

Drones have been spotted in states throughout the east coast, and President Joe Biden has said there is “nothing nefarious” about them, The Associated Press reported. Residents are concerned about why these drones are present, but officials have said that there does not seem to be a threat to public safety, the outlet reported.

A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, allegedly shows that one of the mysterious drones was picked up after it fell out of the sky. The post shows a large craft on a truck bed.

The caption reads, “Breaking News: Crashed #drone in Orange Beach retrieved from water, and taken to undisclosed location for further investigation.”

The claim is inaccurate. The image is of a replica of a spacecraft in the Star Wars films. The image dates back to 2023 when social media users were sharing this image referring to the films. (RELATED: Viral X Video Does Not Authentically Show Drone Flying Over New Jersey)

Senator Doug Mastriano also shared the image and referenced the drone sightings on the east coast. He posted follow up memes that feature AI generated images of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, referencing the original post as a joke.

You guys. Hilarious. Looks like it was piloted after all and not the drone you were looking for pic.twitter.com/BN70beou8W

— Senator Doug Mastriano (@SenMastriano) December 17, 2024

This is not the first time misinformation has circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim Canada banned Trump from entering the country.