Top 10 Government Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out To Be True (2 of 6)

2. The Heart Attack Gun

A what-attack gun? That sounds like some cheesy comic-book villain gear: a device that fires a tiny toxin-tipped dart designed to mimic a natural cardiac arrest. However, the testimony and demonstrations reveal that this intriguing and deadly device first emerged in the 1970s. The concept was not centered on Hollywood drama, but rather on ensuring plausible deniability. If the target “dies of a heart attack,” who’s going to check for a pinprick?

3. Project Mockingbird

When CIA “Family Jewels” documents surfaced decades later, they confirmed operations that included wiretapping U.S. journalists to track national security leaks. Even though the aim was to locate sources, not run the entire media, it showed just how far officials were willing to go when stories crossed the line from uncomfortable to “classified.” For reporters covering defense, it wasn’t just pressure; it was surveillance.