The Department of War is investigating claims that the US Air Force is withholding two cellphone videos allegedly showing a 100-foot-wide triangular object near a Colorado military base. Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez said officials were 'actively investigating' the whereabouts of recordings reportedly made by a service member on consecutive nights in 2023.
Department of War investigating mysterious triangle UFO videos after Post report https://t.co/owbgo3OENq pic.twitter.com/euhecnPzgA
— New York Post (@nypost) August 16, 2026
The videos have not been publicly released or independently authenticated. Details about the object's size, movements and apparent ability to blend into clouds come from anonymous sources cited by the New York Post. Officials have confirmed only that they are investigating the reported footage.
Valdez said any material uncovered would be released through the administration's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, known as PURSUE. The government launched the system in May as part of President Donald Trump's push to release previously classified material concerning unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs.
What The Classified Videos Allegedly Show
According to sources cited by the New York Post, the recordings allegedly show a black triangular object approximately 100 feet (30 metres) across flying near a military installation somewhere in Colorado.
The object was reportedly seen moving rapidly above mountain ranges and appearing to blend into or conceal itself within clouds. The videos were allegedly recorded on a service member's personal phone on consecutive nights in 2023.
Sources also claimed the footage is held by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) in Colorado under file numbers IRR1669S015524 and IRR1669S005024. Neither the reported file numbers nor the contents of the alleged recordings have been independently verified.
If genuine, cellphone footage would provide a different type of evidence from UAP observations captured by military aircraft, radar or infrared systems. The original recordings would still need to be examined to establish the object's apparent distance, size, speed and identity.
Colorado Already Has Triangle Sightings
The alleged videos have emerged alongside government records describing other triangle-shaped objects reported near Colorado Springs.
One FBI recorddescribes a former Pentagon employee who said he saw a silent, nearly translucent triangular object pass over his Colorado home in 2023. The account was included in the government's wider UAP disclosure effort.
The geographical and chronological overlap has encouraged UAP researchers to consider whether the cases could be connected. However, no publicly available evidence currently establishes a connection between them.
The witness report documents what the former employee said he saw, but does not establish what the object was. The same distinction applies to the alleged cellphone videos until the original recordings can be located, authenticated and independently analysed.
The Videos Remain Unverified
The Department of War's statement does not confirm that the videos depict a 100-foot unidentified craft. Officials have not publicly released the recordings, confirmed the reported file numbers or established that the Air Force is deliberately concealing evidence of unidentified or extraterrestrial technology. The most dramatic details currently depend on unnamed sources.
If the videos are located and released, investigators could examine perspective, atmospheric conditions, camera movement and the object's relationship with surrounding terrain. That could help determine whether its reported size and behaviour are consistent with the original claims.
Secrecy Does Not Prove Aliens
Even if the recordings exist and remain classified, that would not necessarily indicate extraterrestrial technology. Footage recorded near a military facility could reveal sensitive information about the installation, surveillance capabilities, aircraft movements, security arrangements or the identity of the service member who recorded it.
There are legitimate national-security reasons why military footage might remain restricted even when officials cannot immediately identify what appears in it. Classification therefore does not settle what the videos show. It could simply mean officials have reasons for limiting access to the material.
PURSUE Faces Its First Big Test
The investigation comes as the Trump administration continues its UAP disclosure programme through PURSUE. The Department of War's official PURSUE database contains hundreds of UAP-related records, including documents, images, audio and videos from multiple government agencies.
The first tranche was released on 8 May 2026, followed by additional batches on 22 May, 12 June and 10 July. The fourth release brought the publicly searchable database to 334 files, according to the department's portal.
The administration also announced efforts to remove barriers preventing some former government employees and contractors from discussing information concerning UAP programmes through authorised channels.
The policy does not automatically make classified recordings public. Information supplied to the government still has to undergo appropriate security and declassification reviews. That makes the alleged Colorado videos a test of whether the administration can turn its transparency campaign into evidence that the public can actually examine.
Investigation Continues Without a Timetable
Valdez said the government would release what it finds through PURSUE, but no timetable has been given for the alleged videos. For now, the story rests on anonymous claims, publicly released Colorado UAP reports and an official investigation into footage that has not been publicly examined or authenticated.
If the recordings are found, released and authenticated, they could become significant evidence in the administration's UAP disclosure programme. Until then, the 100-foot triangle remains an allegation and the missing cellphone videos remain the key evidence needed to determine whether the reported encounter can be substantiated.
