CIA records show disputes with UFO researcher over agency files
Newly released documents detail the CIA's 2008 denial of organized UFO research and its administrative conflicts with transparency advocate Larry W. Bryant.
Key figures
| FOIA case | F-2021-02420 |
|---|---|
| FOIA law year | 1966 |
| Automatic declassification period | 25 years |
| NDAA UAP record deadline | October 20, 2024 |
| Record Group | 615 |
Timeline
- CIA refused to confirm or deny existence of certain records
- CIA upheld decision on appeal regarding responsive records
- CIA stated there was no organized UFO research effort
- CIA recognized Bryant's news media fee status
- Deadline for federal agencies to identify UAP-related records
The CIA has released historical correspondence and administrative records detailing disputes with UFO researcher Larry W. Bryant under FOIA case F-2021-02420 [1].
The documents include a 2008 assertion that the agency had not maintained an organized UFO intelligence collection effort since the 1950s [1].
CIA denies organized UFO research
In a response dated September 30, 2008, the CIA stated there was "no organized CIA effort to do research in connection with UFO phenomena" [1].
Records show Bryant sought information on a November 1986 Japan Airlines UFO encounter over Alaska and a meeting reportedly held at Federal Aviation Administration headquarters in 1987 [1].
When the request was reopened in 2009, the CIA recognized Bryant's news media fee status for that specific case [1].
Withheld records and Project CHERRY
The released files cover Bryant's attempts to obtain records concerning John Joseph McCarthy Jr. and a program called Project CHERRY [1].
In September 2004, the CIA refused to confirm or deny the existence of these records, citing exemptions for classified information and intelligence sources and methods [1].
Subsequent processing determined that no responsive records were located. The CIA upheld this decision on appeal in 2006 [1].
Federal UAP disclosure laws
These records were released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a 1966 law allowing the public to request federal executive branch records [2].
FOIA operates alongside other mechanisms, such as automatic declassification for records with permanent historical value after 25 years [2].
The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act required federal agencies to identify UAP-related records by October 20, 2024, for transfer to the National Archives and Records Administration on a rolling basis [2]. These records are housed in Record Group 615 [2].
What we don't know
- What specific information was withheld under the exemptions regarding Project CHERRY?
- What were the legal outcomes of the litigation that arose from Bryant's disputes with the CIA?
- Whether any records related to the 1986 Japan Airlines encounter were eventually located and released.
Sources
- Larry W. Bryant and the CIA: UFO Investigations, FOIA Disputes, and Government Correspondence — The Black Vault: document archive, Oct 14, 2026
- How to Request U.S. Government UAP Records (FOIA Basics) — uap-archive.org, Oct 15, 2026
