A battle over UFO transparency has erupted in Washington as certain intelligence agencies have been accused of withholding evidence from the American public. Investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell told the Daily Mail there is a 'bottleneck' inside US Central Command where UFO footage is being blocked from reaching officials seeking access to it.
Corbell said some members of Congress are now 'dead set' on forcing the release of the material 'come hell or high water,' with some lawmakers prepared to escalate the fight if agencies continue withholding records. The growing disclosure battle has now centered on 46 classified military UFO videos that lawmakers recently demanded from the Department of War last month, which have yet to be released.
Eight of those highly anticipated clips appear in Corbell's new documentary Sleeping Dog, where viewers are shown brief glimpses of what he described as unresolved UFO encounters collected by the US military. Corbell stressed the footage shown in the film represents only 'tiny glimpses' of a much larger archive of classified material tied to sensitive defense operations and unexplained aerial incidents.
Among the footage referenced by Corbell is what he described as full-color 'satellite footage' and 'full motion video' of mysterious flying objects that he believes Americans 'need to be able to assess' for themselves. Corbell said the documentary was created not only to reveal pieces of the evidence, but to expose what he called the broader resistance against journalists, whistleblowers and transparency efforts surrounding UFO disclosure.
The Trump Administration released hundreds of never-before-seen files, videos and images of mysterious craft and eyewitness accounts on May 8. But whistleblower David Grusch claimed the disclosure effort is already facing resistance from within the intelligence community. Speaking to FOX News on May 8, Grusch said: 'It has come to my attention, actually, recently as of today, there are some actors within certain intelligence agencies, to include DIA and CIA specifically, that are actually blocking some of the president's, a Presidentially appointed team in getting access and getting control of some of these historical records.'
The allegations fueled outrage among disclosure advocates, including Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison, who warned Wednesday on X: 'More is still classified, and I've seen some of it. If the administration doesn't release it, I will, under Speech or Debate.' While the release marked the first large-scale UFO information dump under a sitting president, Burlison and other advocates argued the material made public was merely 'low-hanging fruit' compared to what they believe remains hidden.
Corbell told the Daily Mail the footage featured in Sleeping Dog, available on Apple TV and Amazon's Prime Video, was never intended to function as a public 'data dump,' but rather to document the process journalists go through while assessing highly sensitive material provided by confidential sources. 'All you're seeing in the movie is me reviewing some of George [Knapp's] and my confidential information that we're assessing,' he told Daily Mail. 'Some of what's flashed on screen are glimpses from those 46.' Knapp works with Corbell in investigating UFO materials and speaking with whistleblowers.
He pushed back against online criticism, claiming it was hypocritical for some of the videos to appear in a paid documentary while lawmakers continue demanding their official release. Corbell argued the responsibility for releasing the material lies with the government agencies that collected and classified the footage, not journalists attempting to protect whistleblowers and sources. 'The government filmed it. The government classified it. The government promised transparency,' he said. 'That debt is owed by them. Not me.'
He added that publicly releasing sensitive footage without proper protections could expose individuals who 'risked life and career' to provide information about the alleged encounters. Michael Lazovsky, director of Sleeping Dog, told the Daily Mail: 'The whole point of the documentary was to include these moments to pressure and try to provoke the government to release the full raw data of these videos. It takes a huge toll on [Corbell and Knapp], it puts a target on their backs.'
One clip featured in the documentary titled 'ANAMORPHIS UAP' appears to show a shapeshifting, blob-like object billowing and undulating through the sky as it is tracked by military radar. Another video shows four log-shaped objects seemingly writhing and squirming across the night sky at high speed with no visible means of propulsion. Additional footage labeled 'FORMATION UAP' captures three glowing lights flying in a triangular pattern while crossing over one another in coordinated movements, again without any apparent heat signature or detectable propulsion system. That particular video was previously released by Corbell in 2025 and quickly became one of the most widely discussed UAP clips circulating online.
When asked if he believes the 46 videos will be released, Corbell said, 'With all optimism, yes.' 'Congress is behind it. The president put out a powerful statement that doesn't just mention UFO videos; he mentions aliens and extraterrestrial life,' Corbell added. 'If people are going to follow the president's orders, then these 46 videos are low-hanging fruit. It's just the beginning. It's the floor, not the ceiling.'
