A recently unsealed FBI file, filed under the PURSUE archive on May 8, 2026, reveals that a still image of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) recorded by a U.S. military system in late 2025 was altered before it reached the All‑domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). The file, identified as “FBI Photo B9,” consists of a single monochrome picture accompanied by a brief narrative description, but it offers no mission report, no indication of the originating sensor, and no explanation of the redactions applied.
The agency’s internal note states the image was “derived from a U.S. military system in 2025,” yet immediately follows with a warning that “original imagery was altered with redactions before being submitted to AARO.” The nature of those redactions—what was removed or obscured—remains undisclosed. The document also flags an inaccurate timestamp, noting that the system’s date and time settings were never configured, rendering the recorded date unreliable.
According to the operator’s account, the photograph was taken over the western United States, but the individual could not positively identify the object captured. The narrative description supplied for “informational purposes only” portrays a grainy, black‑and‑white frame featuring a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark circular shape appears just below and to the left of the reticle, set against an indistinct mountain range in the background.
The FBI explicitly cautions that the description should not be taken as an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the event’s validity, nature, or significance. The omission of critical context raises concerns about the completeness of data provided to AARO, the office tasked with evaluating and resolving UAP incidents.
Without the original, unredacted image or a supporting mission report, analysts lack essential information such as sensor resolution, field of view, and temporal markers needed to assess an object’s size, speed, distance, or behavior. The document does not specify which branch or type of military platform captured the footage, further complicating any technical assessment. The FBI’s admission that the image was altered before submission is notable because it is the first instance in the PURSUE archive where the bureau has explicitly acknowledged such a modification.
While the bureau did not produce the original image, it indicates that another military entity generated it, after which the redactions were applied either before the file reached the FBI or during its handoff to AARO. This case highlights a broader issue of chain‑of‑custody transparency.
An altered photo, an absent mission report, and a faulty timestamp collectively suggest that the investigative process may be operating with incomplete or compromised data. For the public and for researchers monitoring UAP transparency, the limited description—essentially a dark circle against a vague mountainous backdrop—offers little insight into the phenomenon’s characteristics, trajectory, emissions, or possible origin. Past releases from the PURSUE archive have prompted questions about the handling of UAP records, but the FBI’s acknowledgment of image alteration adds a new layer of scrutiny.
It underscores the challenge faced by AARO in fulfilling its mandate to analyze all relevant information when key pieces of the evidentiary puzzle are either missing or concealed. In sum, the released FBI file confirms that a late‑2025 military capture of an unidentified object over the western United States was submitted to AARO in a redacted, timestamp‑incorrect form, without accompanying operational documentation.
The lack of original data and the unexplained modifications leave analysts and the public with more questions than answers about the incident and about the robustness of the government’s UAP investigative framework.
