The existence of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), now more commonly referred to by the government as unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), has captivated the public for over 75 years. While the phenomenon was initially dismissed by authorities as nonsense or misidentifications, declassified FBI documents reveal the government took sightings seriously and devoted resources to investigating them.
The FBI’s involvement began in 1947 following a rash of widely publicized UFO sightings across America. Though the newly formed U.S. Air Force took the lead, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover instructed his agents to verify sightings if requested by the Air Force. By July 1950, the Air Force no longer wanted the FBI’s assistance, stating “the jurisdiction and responsibility for investigating flying saucers have been assumed by the United States Air Force.”
Early FBI Interest
Declassified memos show the FBI displaying significant early interest in UFOs. In one 1950 memo, Guy Hottel, then head of the FBI’s Washington, D.C. field office, relayed an unconfirmed report about three disc-shaped craft with crew members resembling humans recovered in New Mexico. While the FBI never investigated the claim, the memo reveals they were gathering intelligence on sightings.
Another memo, sent in 1947 by an Army general to Hoover, confirms military officials were also taking reports seriously by contacting the FBI to investigate sightings. Declassified CIA documents from the 1940s-1990s show agents were instructed to gather foreign UFO reports, though most described unsubstantiated sightings from press reports rather than direct evidence.
Project Blue Book
While the Air Force was the lead investigative body on UFO sightings, the FBI continued to play a role, particularly when UFOs entered restricted airspace. According to declassified records, from 1947-1969, the Air Force conducted UFO investigations under Project Blue Book. Their files include over 12,000 sightings, with over 700 remaining unidentified. The project’s termination in 1969 was not due to a belief sightings had stopped, but rather a judgement that the existing reports revealed no threat or scientific value.
Continued FBI Monitoring
Though no longer formally investigating UFOs, declassified documents prove the FBI continued monitoring sightings, especially reports of objects near sensitive military sites. FBI records show agents interviewing witnesses and gathering material on sightings from Project Blue Book’s successor, the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). A 1973 memo also reveals the FBI director recommending a scientist contact NICAP about UFO photography analysis rather than the FBI directly.
These records make clear that while not leading investigations, the FBI acted as an interested party in monitoring UFO activity across America, particularly when sightings occurred near critical infrastructure sites or sensitive airspace.
The Roswell Incident
No discussion of government UFO knowledge would be complete without examining FBI documents on the most famous UFO case – the alleged crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. The initial FBI communication on the incident came in the form of a July 8, 1947 teletype from the Dallas Field Office regarding a “flying disc” resembling a weather balloon discovered near Roswell. Though not labeled as a UFO or flying saucer, later FBI memos reveal the Bureau was aware of the alleged crash and recovery of alien bodies reported in some accounts.
A 1950 memo from the Washington Field Office on the arrest of a con-man trying to scam victims using knowledge of the Roswell incident confirms the FBI was actively gathering information on the event years after it occurred. These documents demonstrate that while likely skeptical of extraterrestrial origins, the FBI displayed ongoing interest in gathering intelligence on the most famous UFO case in history.
Recent Developments
In recent years, the government has shown renewed interest in UFOs/UAPs following sightings reported by military pilots and the revelation of a secret Pentagon program investigating the phenomenon. The public outcry for transparency led to Congress requiring the Director of National Intelligence to produce an unclassified report on UAPs. The 2021 preliminary assessment examined 144 sightings and concluded most cases represented physical objects exhibiting unusual flight characteristics with no clear earthly explanation.
While 80 years of FBI documents attest to Bureau agents actively monitoring and investigating UFO sightings when reports may have represented threats or unknown technologies, the government today admits some UAPs display advanced capabilities raising questions about their origins and intentions. As sightings continue and detection improves, time will tell if these phenomena reveal secrets about advanced foreign adversaries or something more profound. The FBI records make clear the U.S. government has never fully ignored the issue and will continue analyzing credible sightings, even if the truth remains elusive.
