Trump administration releases UAP files on Catalina Island encounters

The Trump administration released a seventh tranche of UAP-related documents on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, including records of historical encounters on Catalina Island, California ^[1][2].

The records are part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, a transparency initiative established in response to a directive from President Donald J. Trump ^[11]. The system is overseen by the Department of War (DOW)—the agency tasked with the government-wide effort to find, review, identify, declassify, and release unresolved UAP-related information—with support from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) ^[11]. The release provides a window into how the government documented unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the mid-20th century ^[2].

Historical encounters on Catalina Island

One Air Force intelligence report describes an encounter involving three Boy Scouts hiking in the mountainous terrain of Catalina Island near Camp Fox ^[2][7]. The scouts reported seeing an object silver in color that moved faster than a conventional jet at noon Pacific time ^[2]. While the report notes that weather conditions were clear, the scouts were unable to estimate the object's distance, speed, or altitude ^[2]. Sources disagree on the date of the event; a report from war.gov states it occurred on June 25, 1952, while another record lists the date as Aug. 25, 1952 ^[2][7].

Other records detail sightings from 1947, a period when the reported Roswell crash in New Mexico had drawn significant national attention ^[2]. A hand-written letter from Percy E. Mackey, dated May 1, 1947, describes six objects seen singly in the sky at approximately 8 p.m. on April 28 ^[2]. Mackey notes that shortly after, his daughter, grandson, and another woman saw four more objects traveling in the same direction ^[2]. Government officials concluded the Mackey sighting had insufficient data for evaluation ^[2].

Additionally, a historical account from The Catalina Islander describes three Army Air Force veterans who reportedly saw six "flying discs" traveling in formation over Avalon on July 8, 1947 ^[2]. The objects appeared around 1 p.m. and disappeared over East Peak ^[2]. One witness, Alvio Russo, estimated the objects were traveling at 850 mph ^[2].

Contested evidence and missing records

Several pieces of evidence mentioned in the files are missing or disputed. A sketch of the silver object drawn by the Boy Scouts on the back of their original 1952 report is currently unaccounted for, despite searches through decades-old government archives ^[2].

Records also reference a photograph published by the Los Angeles Examiner that purportedly shows a UFO over the island; this image was attributed to former aerial photographer Bob Jung ^[2]. The image, which remains in the Getty Images archives, appears to show a nighttime sky filled with stars ^[2]. This contradicts reports that the sighting occurred during the day, a discrepancy that remains unexplained ^[2].

Claims of non-human intelligence and secrecy

These historical records coincide with ongoing claims from former officials regarding the nature of UAP. Retired Navy intelligence officer Rear Adm. Retired Navy intelligence officer Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet has stated that "we are being visited by non-human intelligence with technology and intentions that are not yet fully understood" ^[12].

Gallaudet, a former oceanographer who served as the Navy's oceanographer from 2013 to 2017 and later served in the Trump administration as the acting administrator and deputy administrator of NOAA (the agency responsible for monitoring ocean and atmospheric conditions), has highlighted ocean-based phenomena ^[5][12]. He cited the USS Omaha as one ship that observed a spherical UAP that hovered over the water before submerging without a splash, demonstrating engineering capabilities that defy modern reproduction ^[3].

Gallaudet further alleges that the military has attempted to suppress UAP information to protect technological advantages that could provide a military advantage in conflict ^[12]. He claims that attempts were made to cover up sightings, including the removal of a secret email containing a UFO video recorded off the U.S. East Coast from his computer on a secret network ^[12]. Gallaudet has described "UFOs (or UAPs) are the story of the century" ^[12].

What we don't know

• Where is the missing sketch drawn by the Boy Scouts on the original 1952 report?
• Why does the Los Angeles Examiner photo depict a night sky if the witnesses reported a daytime sighting?
• What specific technology in recovered UAPs is the government reluctant to reveal, according to Gallaudet?
• When will the subsequent tranches of records beyond the seventh release be made public?