FBI sent J. Edgar Hoover a memo in 1966 describing four-foot figures stepping out of a landed craft, and the government just made it public

Newly released FBI files have brought to light a 1966 memo describing four-foot-tall figures exiting a landed craft. The document is part of a broad transparency effort that saw hundreds of files, photographs, and videos made public on May 8, 2026. As detailed by The Sun, the release marks one of the most extensive disclosures of government UFO-related records in American history.

The memo was sent on October 19, 1966, from the FBI’s San Francisco office to then-Director J. Edgar Hoover. Its subject line read simply “Unidentified Flying Objects,” and it referenced earlier bulletins concerning “Flying Discs.” Within the document, the bureau noted that witnesses reported seeing crewmen who had disembarked from the objects, describing them as three and a half to four feet tall and wearing what appeared to be space suits and helmets.

The release follows a February 2026 executive order from President Donald Trump directing the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and other federal agencies to identify and release government files related to UFOs, UAPs, and extraterrestrial life. Hegseth stated that these files had long been hidden behind classifications and that the American people deserved access to them. The Department of War is now working with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to review and declassify millions of records, with new materials expected on a rolling basis, all hosted at war.gov/UFO.

The files go deeper than just the beings themselves

The 1966 memo also examined the contents of the book Flying Saucers – Serious Business by Frank Edwards. The FBI file suggested the book was a significant factor in the growing public controversy around UFO sightings at the time. According to the memo, Edwards argued that these objects were space vehicles sent to observe activity on Earth and that the Air Force had been withholding information to prevent mass public panic. The document described the craft as polished metal objects that radiated heat and light, sometimes intensely enough to burn nearby witnesses, and noted they appeared to emit a force field capable of interfering with electromagnetic equipment and power sources.

Beyond the witness descriptions, the files also contain reports of mysterious wreckage. The documentation claims material was recovered on at least three separate occasions, one sample identified as a magnesium alloy, another as pure magnesium, and a third as an exceptionally hard unknown metal. The file further claimed this material contained thousands of 15-micron metal spheres throughout its structure, with surfaces showing signs of micro-meteorite impacts. Amid the broader UAP file release that drew wide debate over what the records actually prove, these material descriptions stood out as among the more technically specific details in the newly published documents.

The memo also detailed the shapes and flight characteristics reported during 1965, a year the files described as having the greatest number of UFO sightings on record. Witnesses reported zeppelin-like ships up to 300 feet long, disk-shaped objects ranging from a few feet to 100 feet in diameter, and egg-shaped craft. These objects were said to move silently before suddenly shooting away at high speeds, sometimes hovering and then accelerating with bursts of light from underneath. In some instances, the ground beneath the craft was reported scorched after takeoff.

The FBI noted that many of those reporting these sightings were considered reliable, including military pilots, law enforcement officers, commercial airline pilots, and civilian defense officials. Officials have cautioned that the records do not constitute proof of alien life or advanced non-human technology. The Department of War has clarified that these materials represent unresolved cases where the government could not make a definitive determination, often due to insufficient data. Prior to the release, the government’s own former top UAP investigator had publicly tempered expectations about what the files would actually show.

Representative Tim Burchett, an active voice in the push for disclosure, expressed support for the release on X, stating that the government previously told the public these files did not exist and praising the current administration for making the information available. The Department of War has indicated additional documents will be posted in the coming weeks as the review process continues.