Americans are “freaking out” after hundreds of mysterious drones were captured on video flying over parts of New Jersey and the East Coast of the US.
The sightings have led to fears of everything from an alien invasion and “a fake second coming” to the search by the US military for dirty nuclear bombs.
Politicians have demanded answers from the White House following a frequent number of reported incidents with thousands of drones seen in the sky, many allegedly with the ability to jam communications.
Their presence has sparked mass speculation amid concerns over who is behind the drones, none of which appear to have been captured and which law enforcement claim pose no danger despite admitting knowing nothing about them.
Theories include a Chinese or Iranian surveillance operation controlled from a mothership off the East Coast to a secret New World Order conspiracy called Project Blue Beam.
Project Blue Beam is a conspiracy theory dating to the 1990s that claims global elites, including government and military organisations, are planning to use advanced technology to stage celestial events in order to manipulate the world’s population.
It stems from a conspiracy theory which claimed that NASA has been attempting to implement a New Age religion with the Antichrist at its head and start a New World Order, via a technologically-simulated Second Coming.
The allegations were first presented in 1994 by Canadian journalist and conspiracy theorist Serge Monast and later published in his book Project Blue Beam (NASA) .
Proponents of the theory allege that Monast and another unnamed journalist, who both died of heart attacks in 1996, were in fact assassinated, and that the Canadian government kidnapped Monast’s daughter in an effort to dissuade him from investigating Project Blue Beam.
The project was supposed to be implemented in 1995 and 1996, then in 2000, but didn’t happen.
The theory has recently found traction again online as commentators such as US celebrity Roseanne Barr who claim that the US government could stage an alien invasion as a pretext for imposing authoritarian rule.
Footage shared on social media shows drones with lights hovering over homes with eyewitnesses claiming the drones “are as big as cars”.
The Democrat governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy shared a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday where he wrote about “growing concern” following numerous sightings of drones and unexplained flying objects seen in the skies above the state since mid-November.
It comes amid mounting frustration that the central government is downplaying the incidents.
Murphy’s letter, shared on X/Twitter said: “I write with growing concern about reports of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in and around New Jersey airspace…
“Since November 18th, New Jersey State Police have received reports of UAS sightings in our airspace.
“Existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, and at my request, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas has briefed my administration and our Congressional delegation on actions the agency would take to learn more about the reported UAS activity.
“His team, as well as your Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, have been exceptional partners in trying to unearth the cause of these reported sightings.
“A team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been leading the interagency investigation and we are appreciative of their attention to this matter.
“While I am sincerely grateful for your administration’s leadership in addressing this concerning issue, it has become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity.”
The White House said on Thursday that they were mostly “manned aircraft… being operated lawfully.”
Both the White House and FBI have said they cannot fully explain the origin of the drones and have stated they do not believe it to be sinister.
John Kirby, a national security spokesperson for the Biden administration told reporters during a Thursday press briefing: “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.”
Almost 50 drone sightings were reported on Sunday night, according to NJ.com.
US President elect Donald Trump has called for urgent action yesterday, taking to the Truth Social platform to say: “Mystery drone sightings all over the country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!”
As waves of loud, car-sized mystery drones continue to buzz over New Jersey, one family reported that the craft changed time on their car’s clock.
The family of Morris County locals said they were following one of these seemingly terrestrial UFOs in their vehicle, only to experience the odd effect on their car’s electronics as the unexplained craft “hovered above them.”
“The clock in their car changed time,’ according to one Fox News reporter who spoke to the unnamed family. ‘They say the clock went back to normal after they drove off.”
The case comes amid heightened concern of objects flying above the US, in particular following reports of “Chinese spy balloons.”
In 2023, the US military tracked suspected Chinese surveillance balloons over the country.
The high-altitude spy balloons were tracked with one being shot down off the coast of North Carolina. The balloon is part of an enormous aerial programme linked to Beijing’s military and has targeted over 40 countries, the Biden administration reported.
On Friday, internet personality, Mario Nawfal, took to X claiming New Jersey residents were “freaking out” after eight to ten foot drones were spotted overhead.
His post included a video of the strange, “glowing orb” seen in the New Jersey sky.
Nawfal claimed to have seen over 50 drones flying over the East Coast state in a single night.
The 30-year-old entrepreneur called the drones “creepy” and “invisible to trackers”before alleging that federal officials have “no clue” as to what’s going on.
“And guess what? Neither the military, FBI, nor Homeland Security has a clue who’s behind them,” Nawfal posted.
Nawfal closed his post asking: “Is this Big Brother or the start of a low-budget alien invasion?”
The White House said on Thursday that they were mostly “manned aircraft…being operated lawfully.” Some reported sightings of car-sized drones flying over sensitive military installations and infrastructure such as railway stations.
New Jersey police reported that the drones were “unlike anything we have seen before”, failing to emit either heat or sound, making them undetectable on radar.
An Iranian ship was said to have been spotted off the New Jersey shore days before the first drone sighting was reported on November 18.
Congressman Jeff Van Drew said the drones were coming from a “hostile mothership”offshore, saying: “It could be hundreds of miles out at sea. These types of drones go much greater distances.
“Could it be China? Absolutely. Iran is a definite possibility.”
Mr Van Drew added: “The Pentagon does not know what these drones are or where they are coming from. I have highly credible sources who believe Iran could have a ship off the east coast. We are not being told the truth. They are treating the American public like we are stupid.”
One video posted on X on Sunday showed a New Jersey resident firing on a drone before reloading and firing several times.
Nearly 5,000 reports of drone sightings have been sent to federal officials including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration.
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