The Data
Sealed federal indictments are criminal charges filed with federal district courts that are kept sealed from public view — typically to prevent a target from fleeing or destroying evidence before arrest, or to protect an ongoing investigation. They are a normal part of federal criminal practice. The historical average is approximately 1,000-1,200 new sealed cases per year across all 94 federal judicial districts.
GA researchers began tracking PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) data in late 2017 and noticed an extraordinary escalation. Researcher "Intothemat_rix" and others published monthly counts: by early 2020, over 200,000 sealed federal proceedings had accumulated — compared to approximately 1,000-1,200 historically. By 2023, GA researchers tracking PACER reported the number continuing to grow.
The 200,000+ figure requires clarification: it represents all new sealed federal proceedings — which includes indictments, but also sealed complaints, sealed warrants, and other sealed filings. The subset that are specifically sealed indictments is a portion of the total. However, the overall jump from ~1,000 to 200,000+ is real regardless of the precise criminal-case breakdown, and it represents a statistically extraordinary departure from all historical norms. Either there is a single massive investigation generating sealed activity across all 94 districts, or there are many simultaneous investigations of unprecedented scale — either way, something extraordinary is happening in federal law enforcement.
The Geographic Distribution
One of the most significant analytical findings from PACER tracking: the sealed proceedings are distributed across all 94 federal judicial districts — not concentrated in New York (organised crime) or Eastern Virginia (national security cases) as would be expected for specific known investigations. The broad distribution indicates either: (1) simultaneously active investigations in every region of the country covering different criminal networks; or (2) sealed cases being filed in home districts of specific targets. Both interpretations are consistent with a coordinated multi-district criminal prosecution operation targeting individuals who live across the country.
Executive Order 13818 as the Legal Trigger
The explosion in sealed proceedings began approximately 30-60 days after Executive Order 13818 was signed (December 21, 2017). This timing correlation led GA researchers to conclude that EO 13818 — which created the legal authority to charge individuals with human rights/corruption offences regardless of nationality — was the trigger for a new class of criminal proceedings that account for the statistical anomaly. (See: The White Hats)
Military Tribunals Possibility
Q drops specifically reference military tribunals — not civilian federal courts — as the venue for the most serious cases. GA researchers note that President Trump signed the Military Justice Improvement Act 2017 update to the Manual for Courts-Martial on March 1, 2018, which significantly expanded the scope of crimes triable by military tribunal. If the high-value Cabal members are to be tried for treason (a military offence for those in certain categories), the civilian sealed indictment count would not capture all active cases.