CIA accused of 'poisoning the sky' amid revelation about declassified files

Declassified records from the Central Intelligence Agency have detailed historic American plans to manipulate weather patterns.

The documents, which were declassified in 2003 and placed into public archives, discuss the controversial topic of weather modification.

This involved launching rockets or using aircraft to disperse chemicals into the atmosphere to alter local storm systems and regional climate conditions.

The 18-page report includes documents from 1965 discussing the need for increased funding for weather modification projects. Though the specific chemicals utilized in early experiments were not identified in the memos, federal funding for the secret initiative was scheduled to quadruple by 1967.

That was the same year the United States began dispersing substances over Vietnam to trigger heavy rains, flooding, and landslides.

The resurfaced report has fueled ongoing debate across digital platforms regarding historical military programs.

One post on X claimed: "The CIA has been poisoning the sky and controlling the weather since 1965!"

Included within the 18-page dossier is a letter from United States President Lyndon B. Johnson praising the operation. The endorsement followed an address given by Johnson at Southwest Texas State University in May 1962, where the former Vice President remarked, "He who controls the weather will control the world."

During his presidency, Johnson oversaw two major weather manipulation operations known as Project Stormfury and Project Popeye.

Cold War weather operations and military strategy

Documents show that government initiatives were actively underway by 1965. Project Stormfury involved flying directly into active hurricanes and seeding the clouds with silver iodide. The goal of using the freezing agent was to disrupt the inner structures of the storms and diminish their overall strength.

By 1967, military weather modification expanded into Project Popeye during the Vietnam War. Intelligence records indicate cloud seeding was deployed to artificially extend the monsoon season and disrupt enemy supply routes along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Operations utilized lead iodide to increase rainfall, creating environmental conditions that led to road blockages and landslides.

Lead iodide poses human health risks, as lead exposure can cause fatigue, abdominal pain, kidney issues, neurological damage, and developmental problems in children.

Declassified document from 1965. Credit: CIA

Modern theories and public skepticism

The United States government has maintained that historic weather modification research was aimed at weakening destructive storms and alleviating drought conditions in rural areas.

However, online observers sharing the resurfaced files allege that historical projects point to ongoing covert efforts to alter weather systems, block sunlight, and impact public health.

Much of the modern speculation centers on high-altitude condensation trails left behind by aircraft. While mainstream scientists explain that condensation trails consist of water vapor freezing into ice crystals in cold air, critics argue that airplane exhausts contain undisclosed chemical mixtures.

Figures such as environmental researcher Dane Wigington and health advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have claimed that modern jet emissions contain heavy metals like aluminum, barium, strontium, and mercury.

In April 2025, RFK Jr. stated, "I'm going to do everything in my power to stop it. Find out who's doing it and holding them accountable."

Featured image credit: fhm