Remember that weird drone invasion that made people hysterical in New Jersey and New York recently? When the FBI and White House had conflicting answers that remain conflicting until today? Yeah ... well Gabe Lenners remembers, because it wasn't the first drone invasion where hundreds of reports came in and zero credible explanations would satisfy an alarmed and curious public.
Back in 2019 in Colorado and Nebraska, many sleepy towns were awakened by swarms of strange lights hovering in the skies above. These lights would appear, sometimes ominously stick around for hours, and would disappear from sight. Hundreds of reports began to flood in to local law enforcement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and news agencies. Everyone was left scratching their heads as these drone-like objects seemed to be invading the Midwest. And Lenners, who happened to be home visiting family at the time, was thrust into the middle of it when he witnessed these Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) himself. And that's when he decided to investigate it on his own.
OBSCURUM: Invasion of the Drones, is a new podcast series hosted by Lenners and executive produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment. It follows Lenners on his journey to find answers to the 2019 mystery and its eerie connections to what recently occurred on the East Coast in 2024. The podcast recently launched and immediately caught the ears of many, climbing the charts on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
I had the opportunity to catch up with Lenners about the series, to discuss the podcast and where OBSCURUM heads next in their investigative series.
Ryan Sprague: Can you tell us how the idea for OBSCURUM came about and why you decided to start Season 1 with the 2019 drone invasion?
Gabe Lenners: I've always been drawn to stories that don't have clear answers — stories that live in the space between fact and speculation. OBSCURUM was born out of that curiosity, and when I started researching the 2019 drone sightings in Nebraska and Colorado, it became clear that this was an event that had never been fully explained. Entire towns were seeing large formations of drones flying in coordinated patterns for weeks, and no one could officially identify where they were coming from or who was behind them.
Then, in early 2024, eerily similar sightings started happening in New Jersey, New York, and other parts of the East Coast, making this story more relevant than ever. It felt like the perfect place to start, the origin story of a mystery that is still unfolding today.
What were some of the most surprising moments during your investigation?
One of the biggest surprises was how little transparency there was from officials — even those who were investigating at the time. The other shock was the scale of these sightings. We're not talking about one or two people seeing drones in the sky. We're talking about hundreds of people across multiple states reporting the same thing at the same time. Some witnesses described drones the size of cars, and yet, to this day, no one has claimed responsibility. That was the moment I realized there was so much more to uncover.
What were some of the theories brought forward for the source of the drones?
There are a lot of theories, and that's part of what makes this mystery so fascinating. Some people believe these drones were part of classified military testing, while others think they could be foreign surveillance aircraft. Another theory is that they were being used for mapping and reconnaissance. And, of course, there's the theory that these weren't conventional drones at all — some believe they could be linked to the broader UFO/UAP phenomenon. In OBSCURUM, we dive into all of these theories.
Why do you think it's important to revisit this moment in time?
Because the story isn't over. These same types of drone formations are happening again — this time in New Jersey, New York, and other states. The White House recently made a statement about the New Jersey sightings, and yet we're still not getting clear answers. If we don't examine the past, we risk missing key patterns and connections that could help us understand what's really happening today.
UFOs are a very popular topic right now. Why do you think that is?
There's been a major shift in how we talk about UFOs and UAPs. What used to be dismissed as "fringe" is now being seriously investigated by the government. In the last few years, we've seen declassified reports, congressional hearings, and even statements from high-ranking military officials confirming that unidentified objects are real — and in some cases, they're doing things we can't explain. People are paying attention because, for the first time, the official response isn't outright denial. That makes this the perfect time to explore cases like the OBSCURUM drone sightings, because they exist at the crossroads of technology, government transparency and the unknown.
OBSCURUM will cover other topics as well. Where do you plan on heading next in your investigations?
The goal of OBSCURUM is to uncover stories that have been overlooked, suppressed, or just never fully explained. While Season 1 focuses on the drone invasion, future seasons will take us to other mysteries unfolding in rural America, and cases that challenge what we think we know.
You have quite a production team behind this. Can you tell us about them?
This series wouldn't be possible without the incredible team behind it. OBSCURUM is produced in partnership with Imagine Entertainment, the legendary production company founded by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and iHeartMedia, the #1 podcast publisher in the world. Having Imagine's storytelling expertise and iHeart's massive audio reach has allowed us to bring this mystery to life in a way that's both cinematic and deeply immersive. It's been an amazing collaboration, and I couldn't be more excited about where this journey is headed.
OBSCURUM: Invasion of the Drones is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and all major podcast platforms.
For updates, follow on social media at @Obscurum_Series or at: www.ObscurumSeries.com.
