Background Welcome to the FBI Files on Historical Figures & Groups archive at The Black Vault. This comprehensive collection provides a unique lens into the lives and activities of various prominent individuals and groups that have played significant roles in shaping history. These files offer a rare glimpse into the FBI’s surveillance, investigation, and documentation of notable personalities and organizations, revealing the intricate ways they interacted with or were perceived by the U.S. government. From influential political leaders and activists to groundbreaking cultural figures, these documents span a wide spectrum of history and provide an invaluable resource for understanding the…
Author: John Greenewald
A newly released Freedom of Information Act response from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers a limited but useful look at UAP-related keyword hits found in the email records of Dr. Timothy Gallaudet, the former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Acting NOAA Administrator, and Deputy NOAA Administrator. The request, filed July 10, 2023, sought all emails sent to, from, or copied to Gallaudet between October 25, 2017, and January 20, 2021, that contained a series of UFO- and UAP-related terms. Those terms included “UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL,” “UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS,”…
Newly released Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records provide a detailed look at both the operational planning and environmental review efforts surrounding the U.S. military’s Rocket Cargo initiative and proposed activities at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The documents were released in response to two FOIA requests filed by The Black Vault in July 2025 seeking records related to discussions, planning, contracts, technical proposals, environmental reviews, and communications involving SpaceX and the Department of the Air Force concerning Rocket Cargo and other point-to-point rocket logistics concepts. Together, the releases reveal coordination between the Air Force, SpaceX, environmental regulators, and…
The Department of War Office of Inspector General (DoW OIG), formerly known as the Department of Defense Inspector General, has issued the fourth interim release of documents regarding its evaluation of the military’s handling of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). The release is part of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case, designated as case number DODOIG-2021-000806. While the unclassified verbiage in this five-page release aligns with what the public already knows about UAP evaluation, the newly disclosed document highlights a stark contradiction. Despite frequent public assertions of “transparency” and the high-profile release of official UAP videos in previous years,…
The Black Vault has launched a new searchable archive dedicated to the recently released UFO Files Release #1 collection, providing the public with a significantly more accessible way to explore the material than the original government release allowed. The archive, now available through The Black Vault’s custom-built search engine platform, includes searchable PDFs, videos, images, transcripts, and supporting records connected to the Department of War’s Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) document release last week. The original release presented several challenges for researchers and the public alike. Many of the PDF files were password protected, limiting accessibility and preventing standard optical character…