FBI FILES: THE “BORDERLAND SCIENCES” UFO CASE

Declassified documents reveal how the FBI reviewed a mysterious research group studying flying saucers

📄 Official FBI FOIA Release

In June 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a set of documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) related to an unusual organization known as the Borderland Sciences Research Associates (BSRA). The file was requested by researcher John Greenewald Jr., founder of the document archive The Black Vault.

The FBI confirmed that 33 pages of records concerning the group were reviewed and released without redactions, offering a rare glimpse into how federal authorities once handled reports involving UFO research organizations.

🖼 Document: FBI FOIA Response Letter (2018)

The following letter shows the official response sent by the FBI to the FOIA requester.

(Example of document from the file)

The letter states that the FBI searched its records and found no indication that the organization had ever been the target of electronic surveillance, suggesting that the bureau did not consider it a major security threat.

📡 A Suspicious Letter Reaches the FBI (1950)

The origins of the FBI file date back to October 1950, when a U.S. engineer named F. K. Matejka from Colorado sent a letter to the Bureau. He had received promotional materials from the Borderland Sciences Research Associates, an organization based in San Diego, California.

Matejka told the FBI he was uncertain about the group’s intentions. The organization was promoting a 43-page booklet titled “The Mystery of the Ether Ships and Its Solution”, which discussed the origin of flying discs (UFOs).

Concerned about the group’s motives, Matejka asked federal authorities to examine the materials. He noted that the organization was trying to recruit members from the American Radio Relay League, raising questions about whether it had hidden objectives related to communications networks.

🖼 Document: Original 1950 Letter Sent to the FBI

(Example page from the correspondence included in the FBI file)

In the letter, Matejka explained:

He was curious about the organization but wanted assurance it was not associated with suspicious or subversive activities.

🔬 The “Borderland Sciences” Organization

The Borderland Sciences Research Associates (BSRA) described itself as a non-profit research group studying phenomena outside mainstream science. According to documents included in the FBI file, its research topics included:

• Flying saucers and unknown aircraft

• Psychic phenomena such as telekinesis and clairvoyance

• Hypnosis and trance communication

• Mysterious disappearances

• Theories about “Ether Ships” visiting Earth

The organization’s directors were Meade Layne and Max Freedom Long, both active in alternative science and occult research communities during the mid-20th century.

🖼 Document: BSRA Description of Its Research

(Promotional material from the organization included in the FBI file)

The group claimed it was studying “borderland facts and happenings” — phenomena that conventional science allegedly ignored.

👽 Claims About Flying Saucers

Some of the most striking documents in the file contain statements from the organization asserting that flying saucers were real spacecraft operated by intelligent beings.

In one document addressed to U.S. government officials, the group warned that attacking these craft would be dangerous, claiming they possessed technology far beyond human capabilities.

The message urged authorities to attempt peaceful communication instead of military confrontation.

📁 FBI Conclusion

Despite the unusual claims contained in the materials, the FBI’s records suggest the Bureau did not pursue an extensive investigation into the organization.

The FOIA release notes that:

• Documents were simply archived.

• No evidence of espionage or security threats was found.

• The organization was never targeted for surveillance.

🧭 A Glimpse Into the Early UFO Era

The Borderland Sciences file reflects the atmosphere of the early 1950s UFO craze, when sightings of mysterious aerial objects were widely reported across the United States.

During that period, numerous civilian groups attempted to explain the phenomenon—ranging from scientific theories to claims of extraterrestrial contact.

The FBI file shows that while the government received such reports, many were simply recorded and archived rather than actively investigated.

✔ Summary

• The FBI released 33 pages of documents about the Borderland Sciences Research Associates.

• The file began after a 1950 letter from a concerned citizen.

• The group studied UFOs, psychic phenomena, and “Ether Ships.”

• The FBI ultimately found no evidence of criminal or security threats.