FOIA Docs: FBI Used AI-powered Intel Tool to Surveil 'Storm Area 51'

The FBI monitored social media posts made by individuals of interest and a variety of websites during 2019 investigations of the dubious Storm Area 51 They Can't Stop Us All movement, according to Bureau records obtained through the FOIA this week by Expanding Frontiers Research. The FBI Las Vegas field office was authorized to conduct physical surveillance, as well as recruit and develop Confidential Human Sources (CHSs) as a result of a viral Facebook post that attracted UFO buffs and promoters alike. FBI surveillance led to the implementation of Babel Street, an AI-powered threat intelligence tool capable of simultaneously monitoring hundreds of websites.

A Sep. 10, 2019, FBI electronic communication, "Title: Documenting the use of persistent search, open source collection tools," established the use of Babel Street. The document stated, "Persistent search is necessary because intermittent manual searches do not provide the necessary timeliness of information required to achieve the purpose of the investigation because of the real-time social media tools used by the persons of interest, and because of the scale of the operation."

In 2019, Matty Roberts made a Facebook post encouraging people to meet on Sep. 20 outside Area 51, a secure military base in Nevada long associated with UFO and extraterrestrial lore. Participants of "Storm Area 51" were purportedly going to rush the facility and liberate its flying saucer secrets. Some two million people ostensibly registered to attend. The timeline came to include a number of complexities, including being latched onto by UFO showmen, an accompanying rock concert, the cancellation of storming the base, and significant law enforcement attention.

Rolling Stone magazine obtained government documents in 2021 showing dozens of law enforcement agencies mobilized in response to a possible siege on Area 51. The records indicate the potential for domestic or international terrorists to embed within the Storm Area 51 attendees was taken extremely seriously.

FBI records obtained this week by EFR reflect the Bureau was prepared to subpoena electronic communication and computing service providers for customer information; task Confidential Human Sources with directives if approved by Supervisory Special Agents; open additional investigations on individuals, groups or organizations whose activities may constitute a threat to the national security; and use Babel Street as a persistent search tool to stay advised of developments in real time. A slider of select FBI documents obtained this week:

Additional FBI records obtained document Bureau concerns about a Las Vegas business, Area 15, that posted its plans on Facebook to attend and film the Storm Area 51 happenings. FBI followed open sources in its effort to establish principals of the Area 15 business and related information.

Media outlets were also of interest. A Sep. 19, 2019, article from The Hill, Storm Area 51 fans setting up camp in desert Nevada, by Aris Folley was collected by FBI. So was Storm Area 51 fans arriving, setting up roadside campsite by Mick Akers for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

EFR submitted a FOIA request for records responsive to Storm Area 51 in August 2025. FBI advised in January 2026 it located approximately 534 pages of records potentially responsive to the request. EFR reduced the scope of the request to not exceed 50 pages. In a final response dated April 22, 2026, FBI explained 49 pages were reviewed and 36 were being released.

The released material was semi-heavily redacted. An appeal of withheld pages and redactions will be submitted. EFR filed a new FOIA request for responsive records not included in the release.

Records obtained by EFR from the Lincoln County (NV) Sherrif's Office document the arrest of two young men at Area 51 on Sep. 20, 2019. They drove in together, apparently from Utah, for the Storm Area 51 event and were charged with trespassing after breaching the perimeter. The men voluntarily surrendered their cell phones and were released on bail without significant incident.

Things turned more serious for Dreamland website operator Joerg Arnu in 2022 when his chronic interest in Area 51 apparently resulted in the search of two properties and the seizure of electronic equipment. Law enforcement records obtained by EFR demonstrate the sheriff's office was dispatched to Area 51 less than six months before the search warrants were served, when Arnu and three men with German passports were instructed to take their drone and vacate the perimeter of the base.

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