US President Donald Trump has directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to lead an inquiry into six reported deaths and disappearances of scientists linked to space, nuclear and defence research programmes, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.
According to US officials and media reports, the matter has been declared a national security priority, with an initial report on the investigation expected within 10 days.
According to reports, the cases under review span the period between 2022 and 2026 and involve personnel associated with major US research institutions, including NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology and military-linked research facilities.
Media reports suggest that six scientists have died under unexplained circumstances and five others have been reported missing since 2022.
One of the earliest reported cases cited is that of scientist Amy Eskridge, who was found dead at her home in 2022.
Some analysts speculated that individuals working on sensitive technologies could have been targeted.
Officials have not endorsed such claims, and investigations remain ongoing.