Allegations of undisclosed animal testing practices have surfaced, as the Pentagon faces a lawsuit for not addressing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The lawsuit, initiated by the government watchdog group White Coat Waste (WCW), seeks the release of materials related to U.S. taxpayer-funded primate experiments conducted both domestically and internationally.
WCW has taken legal action against the Department of Defense to obtain photos, videos, and other records concerning U.S. military primate labs located in Thailand, Peru, and the United States. According to WCW, these facilities are conducting costly experiments on hundreds of monkeys, funded by American taxpayers.
“From Fort Detrick to Peru to Thailand, our recent investigations have uncovered how millions in military monkey business worldwide is being bankrolled by the Pentagon,” stated WCW Senior Vice President Justin Goodman in an interview with Military.com. “Our new lawsuit covers five different FOIA requests that we submitted for videos and other documents, detailing Pentagon primate testing in U.S. and foreign labs.”
The Pentagon has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, in line with its policy on pending litigation, a spokesperson told Military.com.
‘Troubling’ Findings, Lack of Government Response
WCW’s investigation has brought to light that the military primate labs in question are reportedly breeding and purchasing monkeys for experiments involving procedures like sleep deprivation, surgical mutilation, and exposure to dangerous pathogens, including anthrax and Ebola. Goodman expressed concern over the extent of animal testing funded by the U.S. government, stating, “I think most people would be surprised to learn that the U.S. government, meaning taxpayers, are the single largest funder of animal testing in the entire world.”
It’s troubling that agencies like the Department of Defense continue to fund animal labs overseas when we’ve seen how disastrous it can be.
Federal reports indicate that many primates in these experiments endure significant pain without relief, according to Goodman.
The lawsuit details five FOIA requests filed between June and December 2025, targeting specific research sites:
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research – Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (Thailand)
- U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit South (Peru)
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (Fort Detrick)
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (Fort Detrick)
- Uniformed Services University (Bethesda, MD)
Goodman noted that some requests were ignored entirely, while others received initial acknowledgment but were never completed. Two ignored requests concerned labs in Thailand and Fort Detrick.
Lawsuit Claims Federal Inaction
The lawsuit criticizes the federal government for its lack of communication regarding the FOIA requests. For instance, a request submitted on June 24, 2025, aimed at the U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command, sought records of primate use in certain research institutes. Though initially acknowledged, the request saw no further progress.
Another request concerned the Uniformed Services University and was similarly acknowledged but stalled in a processing queue of nearly 4,000 open requests without further follow-up.
WCW alleges these facilities conduct invasive experiments on monkeys, including infection with diseases like malaria and Zika, often involving painful procedures.
Past Success in Eliminating Experimental Funding
WCW’s lawsuit follows previous efforts to eliminate funding for animal testing. In December 2025, President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act, cutting funds for some Department of Defense animal experiments, including those involving dogs and cats.
Goodman emphasized WCW’s past success in highlighting wasteful spending, noting the Pentagon’s responsiveness to such findings, albeit with challenges in other government agencies. “We’ve found that the DOD to be incredibly responsive and proactive in trying to cut wasteful animal tests,” he stated, contrasting this with less effective responses from other agencies.
