A small group of agents within the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) following up on reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) are now facing a more immediate concern: job uncertainty.
The existence of the FBI’s UAP Working Group was revealed on Monday amid worries over a potential purge under the new administration that may target federal officials who worked on cases that were related to the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021.
The claims, first reported by Politico, were backed by multiple sources familiar with the matter, some of whom spoke on background.
Specifically, a 12-question survey recently issued by Justice Department leadership to thousands of FBI agents and other employees asks individuals to detail their participation in investigations related to the Jan. 2021 attack.
The questionnaire followed a directive issued by the Justice Department late last week, which also sought the names, titles, and offices of all FBI personnel involved in the Jan. 6 investigations.
Ryan Graves, a former U.S. Navy Pilot and co-founder of the advocacy group Americans for Safe Aerospace, expressed concerns on Monday that members of the FBI’s UAP Working Group could be among the federal agents impacted by shifting dynamics under the new administration.
In a statement provided to The Debrief, Graves said his organization has worked over the past year and a half with “a small team at the FBI called the UAP Working Group to investigate credible reports of UAP by trained observers like pilots and veterans” and to assist in determining where national security or aviation safety may have been impacted.
“Witnesses who come to ASA always decide how their case is handled, but many want their reports investigated by the FBI’s UAP Working Group,” Graves said.
An FBI spokesperson with whom The Debrief communicated via email on Monday confirmed that “the FBI investigates Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena when there is potential for a violation of federal law—particularly unlawful acts that could adversely affect our national interests—and to gather, share, and analyze intelligence to combat security threats facing the U.S.”
Though acknowledging the FBI UAP Working Group’s investigations, the spokesperson declined to comment on additional questions from The Debrief regarding FBI personnel matters.
Although few additional details have been made publicly available about the FBI’s involvement in UAP investigations, the alleged working group is said to consist of a national program manager, with participation from more than a dozen FBI agents from across the country who participate in the Bureau’s investigations into these phenomena.
On Monday, graves and other sources told Politico that the group collaborates with external organizations, collects intelligence, and interviews witnesses who report anomalous sightings.
The Debrief also contacted the Pentagon regarding the FBI’s UAP Working Group and whether it coordinates with the DoD’s current investigations into UAP, but as of the time of publication, it had not received a response.
However, several official reports detailing the DoD’s progress with UAP investigations have listed the FBI among the federal agencies it has been coordinating with since 2021.
A heavily redacted version of a formerly classified June 2021 ODNI report, titled “Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,” obtained via FOIA request by researcher John Greenewald, included a previously withheld appendix section that specially detailed the FBI’s role in supporting the investigations then being conducted by the UAP Task Force.
“Given the national security implications associated with potential threats posed by UAP operating in close proximity to sensitive military activities, installations, critical infrastructure, or other national security sites, the FBI is positioned to use its investigative capabilities and authorities to support deliberate DoD and interagency efforts to determine attribution,” a portion of the once-classified document read.
Several additional lines of information detailing the FBI’s role in UAP investigations appeared on the same page of the document, but they remained redacted.
Currently, the Pentagon’s official UAP investigations are overseen by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which also lists the FBI among the agencies it coordinates with in its most recent annual report involving what the DoD now calls unidentified anomalous phenomena.
“In accordance with 50 U.S.C. § 3733(d), AARO executes a strategic partner engagement program conducting outreach and liaison activities,” the November 2024 report states. “Components include the DoD, federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement, counterintelligence (CI), and security agencies, as well as other Executive Branch entities and foreign partners in support of AARO’s UAP mission.”
“AARO continues to work with the military Services, Combatant Commands, and others to support and refine their development of mitigation and response plans to include robust reporting processes,” the report adds.
On Monday, Graves said that although he and his organization see promise in the new administration’s current attitudes toward UAP and concerns over the potential aviation risks they might pose. However, Graves said he is still concerned about the potential that the careers of some FBI agents ASA has coordinated with might be in jeopardy.
“I am heartened to see that the Trump Administration is shaping up to be the most pro UAP Administration in history, and I do not want to lose momentum on this critical work to solve the mystery of UAP,” Graves said on Monday.
“Let’s identify what’s in our skies and let the public see the X Files for themselves,” Graves added.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.