New Jersey has recently been making waves in the news. The reason? Drones. Beginning in early November, drone sightings have been scaring New Jersey residents and inspiring the birth of conspiracy theories. Today, we will discuss some of those theories, as what we know for sure. 

Why are they here? 

There are many theories surrounding why the drones continue to hover over New Jersey. Some believe they are sent to spy on us; however, there is not much evidence to support this. One compelling theory is that these drones are hunting for nuclear missile parts, which explains why they only appear at night. The most effective way to look for nuclear missile parts is to aerially scan for radiation waves. Due to the radiation emitted from the sun, it is almost impossible to pick up these waves accurately during the day. At night, these waves can be isolated and more easily tracked. The drones could be looking for missile parts hidden somewhere in New Jersey. This also explains why these drones have not been shot down.

But how did the missile parts get lost? There is a conspiracy surrounding this, too. On October 1-3, 2024, the International Longshoremen’s Association near Port Elizabeth went on strike. It was mere weeks after that the drones were first spotted. Considering the possibility that nuclear missiles have been thought to have gone through New Jersey ports, these strikes could have led to the loss of the missile parts. Thus, the government assumes they are still within New Jersey and its surrounding area, corresponding with the areas where the drones have been spotted. 

Another interesting approach is that the drones are part of the CIA’s larger project known as MK-Ultra. This project focuses on what captivates the minds of the American people and how much we willing to put up with. This information comes in handy if there is ever the need to sacrifice things in a time of crisis. Knowing what people find unacceptable and finding what they would fight for is necessary to effectively unite a country during a crisis. 

According to NPR, the CIA became interested in “mind control” during the Cold War, particularly following the infamous Vietnam War. A large contributor to America’s struggle during this war was the lack of support at home. The Vietnam War is historically significant in that it is the first war that was televised. Watching the horrors of war from their living rooms, Americans everywhere were disgusted. They no longer wanted to support a government that would commit such atrocities. In response, the CIA began experimenting with the morals of Americans. How far are we willing to go? What justifies others getting hurt? By collecting this data, they are able to frame the next crisis so it is digestible and American support remains unwavering.

Where did they come from? 

From the FBI to China, there are a multitude of possible origins for the drones. A New Jersey Republican representative claimed the drones came from an Iranian “mothership” and are spying on New Jersey citizens to track our movements. This information could be helpful to collect data on where the most people are at what times. A Democrat Illinois representative said there was a possibility that China is involved in similar surveillance operations. Yet another theory is that the U. S. government itself is involved in coordinating the drones. They may have a similar purpose as far as surveillance, but the end goal would just be to track movement patterns. The least supported theory is that they are privately owned and run. Part of the reason this is unsupported is because they would have been immediately shot down or told to land if they were privately operated. On the other hand, if they are run domestically by the U. S. government or by a foreign government, it would make bringing down the drones more complicated.

The Cold Hard Facts

Although it tickles the mind to come up with and follow conspiracy theories, one must remember to ground themselves in the facts. According to Roll Call.com, in early December, the former Biden administration first issued a statement claiming that there was no evidence to corroborate the drone sightings. That statement was later retracted, and days later, the BBC records the Biden administration saying that the drones are present but pose no threat to the public. On January 10th, FOX News reported that president Trump would reveal the drones’ origin on day-one in office. Since his inauguration, though, we have yet to get any additional information. 

Will we ever know the truth? 

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions or beliefs of The Tartan Editorial Staff.