Western US FBI Imagery
Black-hot infrared imagery and witness composite documentation from western US encounters, captured during 2025 by FBI personnel and aviation crews.

FBI Photo A5: black-hot infrared still of an unidentified object photographed over the western United States, December 2025.
FBI / declassified via PURSUE 2026

FBI Photo B7: black-hot infrared still showing an unidentified object below a helicopter, western US, September 2025.
FBI / declassified via PURSUE 2026
Official description
FBI Photo A5 and FBI Photo B7, black-hot infrared stills of unidentified objects observed over the western United States. Photo A5 was captured in December 2025; Photo B7 in September 2025 from a helicopter.
Editor's context
Black-hot IR imagery emphasizes warm objects against cool backgrounds. Without corroborating radar tracks, the visible morphology alone is rarely conclusive. The FBI's continuing role in collecting and reviewing UAP imagery is itself a notable feature of the post-2023 disclosure landscape.
In the margins
Transcribed redactions, stamps, and handwritten markings, the paratext of the file. Often the most human part of a declassified document, and worth reading on its own.
- Stampp. FBI release coverFEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UAP IMAGERY COLLECTION
- StampFBI PHOTO A5 (December 2025) + FBI PHOTO B7 (September 2025)
- AnnotationPhoto A5: black-hot infrared still over the western US. Photo B7: black-hot IR from a helicopter looking down at terrain with a small bright object.
- AnnotationCaptured by FBI personnel and aviation crews. Black-hot IR rendering inverts standard thermal contrast: warm objects appear dark against cool sky.
Cite the primary source
Citations center the originating government agency and link to the official record. This archive is listed as the access point, not the author.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Western US FBI Imagery." Released via PURSUE program, 2026-05-08. File ID: FBI Photo A5, B7 (PURSUE). https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-the-pentagons-new-ufo-image-release/. Accessed 2026-06-26 via Social Media for Aliens archive, https://socialmediaforaliens.com/files/western-us-formation-2024.
Tags
Sources
Reflections
Want to leave a reflection on this file? Join the Circle or sign in.
No reflections yet. Be the first to leave one.
Long-form discussion
Related cases
FBI Northeastern Orb video collection
Set of FBI-held eyewitness video files spanning November 2021 through July 2025, depicting bright orb-like objects in the Northeastern US. Released June 12, 2026 as part of PURSUE Release 03. The first FBI-contributed video material to PURSUE.
Department of the Army Encounter, 2026
1 minute 49 second infrared video from a Department of the Army encounter in early 2026, location undisclosed.
ODNI Senior US Intelligence Officer narrative, Western US
First-person narrative account from a Senior US Intelligence Community official describing UAP behavior observed during a Western US incident in 2025. Released through PURSUE Release 02 on May 22, 2026. The first ODNI contribution to PURSUE.
Djibouti 2025 Mission Report
Mission report documenting a 2025 unidentified airborne phenomenon observed at or near US military operations in Djibouti.