"Are they spying on civilians" — Internet reacts to alleged US Army serviceman saying the military has been launching drones in New Jersey and Texas

An alleged US Army serviceman has claimed that the drones, aka Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), spotted across New Jersey were sent by the military. His statement comes weeks after New York and New Jersey residents reported seeing multiple UAVs in their neighborhood. The sightings began in mid-November, causing panic among residents and leading to several conspiracy theories.

In the video posted to X by @WallStreetApes, the unnamed US Army serviceman alleged that the US military has been sending UAVs all over New Jersey and Texas. However, he didn't explain the reasoning behind them, adding the machines posed no threat to people.

“I will be speaking about the drones — I'm in the army, the military — We are launching the drones up in the sky, as of right now, in New Jersey and in Texas, everywhere. They are man-made drones and we're doing the launching,” the alleged serviceman said.

He alleged that while the UAVs belonged to the US military, the unknown orbs that residents have reported spotting in the night sky were aliens. He claimed that aliens were real and walked among us, adding people should be ready to evacuate.

The alleged serviceman's videos went viral on social media, leading to more questions from netizens.

"Why is the army launching weird drones? This is not right. Are they spying on civilians, or is it something even more nefarious?," one X user asked.

Many shared similar worries, with more theories springing up instead of answers.

"Are you saying this drone situation is related to what’s going on tonight at the White House?" one person questioned.

"I think there is a mixture out there. Remember the drone sightings over the base near Tucson? I think our drones are looking for those drones," another person speculated.

"So, we've solved the mystery of the drones. They're not UFOs; they're just our military's way of saying, "We're watching... from above." Now, if only they could help me find my lost car keys in the parking lot," someone else commented.

However, others deemed the video fake, claiming the person was not really in the military.

"Idk he seems sketchy but I guess the whole thing is sketchy," one person posted.

""I'm in the army, military whatever" Sounds legit, breh," another person commented.

"I'm gonna call bulls**t on this. I doubt a f**king e-4 would be read in on all that s**t," someone else added.

---

The US banned drones in New York and New Jersey

Following increasing reports of drone sightings across New York and New Jersey, US aviation authorities have issued a ban against UAVs in some parts of the two states. According to the BBC, 29 infrastructure sites in NY and 22 in NJ have a drone ban for the next 30 days.

In a statement on December 19, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said:

"I've spoken with [Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas multiple times and was just informed that he has coordinated with federal partners and the FAA plans to grant temporary flight restrictions over some of New York's critical infrastructure sites."

Commercial UAVs with a valid statement of work and special approval will be permitted to fly. Other unauthorized UAVs will reportedly be put down with "deadly force" if they pose an "imminent security threat." The New Jersey ban will be lifted on January 17, whereas the New York ban will be lifted the following day.

This ban came a day after President Joe Biden reassured US citizens that the drone sightings were "nothing nefarious" in a statement to the media on December 18.

"We're following this closely, but so far, no sense of danger. There's a lot of drones authorised up there. I think one started it and they all - everybody wanted to get in the deal," he added.

Biden's statement followed President-elect Donald Trump's claims that the government was aware of the drone origins but refused to publicly share the information to "keep people in suspense."

Last week, the Pentagon denied rumors that the UAVs were foreign after one New Jersey Congressman claimed they were sent by an "Iranian mothership." The Pentagon's deputy press secretary, Sabrina Singh, added that the US military did not send the machines.

---

It is unclear who or what caused the uptick in drone sightings at the time of this article.