Summary

On January 20, 1996, the city of Varginha in Brazil became the center of one of the most extraordinary UFO incidents in history. Multiple witnesses reported seeing strange creatures in broad daylight, followed by intense military activity, the capture of unknown beings, and mysterious deaths. The case began when three young women encountered a bizarre creature crouching near a wall, but quickly expanded to include reports of crashed objects, military convoys, hospital involvement, and an apparent cover-up. Known as “Brazil’s Roswell,” the Varginha incident involved dozens of credible witnesses and remains one of the most thoroughly documented cases of alleged alien contact in South America.

The Initial Encounter

The Three Girls

On January 20, 1996, around 3:30 PM:

  • Liliane Fátima Silva (16)
  • Valquíria Aparecida Silva (14)
  • Kátia Andrade Xavier (22)
  • Walking home from work
  • Shortcut through vacant lot
  • Sunny afternoon

The Creature

The girls described seeing:

  • Crouching by a wall
  • Brown skinned being
  • Large red eyes
  • Three bumps on head
  • Thin body, large head
  • About 4 feet tall
  • Oily/wet appearance

Immediate Reaction

The witnesses:

  • Screamed in terror
  • Thought it was devil
  • Ran home crying
  • Told their mothers
  • Genuinely traumatized
  • Never changed story

Earlier Events

NORAD Detection

Reports suggest:

  • January 13: NORAD tracked object
  • Entered Brazilian airspace
  • Alerted Brazilian authorities
  • Crash anticipated
  • Military prepared

The Farmland Crash

January 13, 1996:

  • Farm couple Oralina and Eurico
  • Saw object crash
  • Smoke rising
  • Military arrived quickly
  • Area cordoned off

Military Response

Army Movement

January 20 morning:

  • Army trucks spotted
  • Unusual troop movement
  • Fire department called
  • Specific equipment brought
  • Coordinated operation

Creature Capture

Multiple witnesses reported:

  • Military capturing beings
  • At least two creatures
  • One near girls’ sighting
  • Another different location
  • Nets and boxes used

Fire Department Involvement

The Call

Fire department personnel:

  • Received unusual call
  • “Capture wild animal”
  • Arrived to find military
  • Saw strange creature
  • Ordered to assist

Firefighter Testimony

Several firefighters confirmed:

  • Creature in net
  • Not normal animal
  • Military in charge
  • Sworn to secrecy
  • Some later spoke out

Hospital Incidents

Regional Hospital

Night of January 20:

  • Military convoy arrived
  • Unusual security measures
  • Staff ordered away
  • Secret patient admitted
  • Strange smell reported

Humanitas Hospital

January 21-22:

  • Second creature brought
  • Small body bag
  • X-rays taken
  • Doctors involved
  • Death occurred

The Beings

Physical Description

Consistent witness descriptions:

  • 4-5 feet tall
  • Brown/gray skin
  • Large red eyes
  • Three protrusions on head
  • Thin limbs
  • No apparent clothing
  • Ammonia-like smell

Behavior

Witnesses noted:

  • Appeared injured/weak
  • Made buzzing sounds
  • Seemed intelligent
  • Avoided capture
  • Non-aggressive
  • Frightened appearance

Key Witnesses

Marco Eli Chereze

Police officer involved:

  • Helped capture creature
  • Direct physical contact
  • Became mysteriously ill
  • Died February 15, 1996
  • Official cause: pneumonia
  • Family suspects cover-up

Dr. João Bosco Manoel

Pathologist claimed:

  • Examined creature body
  • Non-human characteristics
  • Ordered to silence
  • Later denied involvement
  • Conflicting statements

Military Personnel

Several soldiers reported:

  • Participated in operation
  • Saw captured beings
  • Transported to facilities
  • Threatened if talked
  • Some later confirmed

The Cover-Up

Official Denials

Brazilian military stated:

  • No unusual operations
  • No captured creatures
  • Routine exercises only
  • Witnesses mistaken
  • Case closed

Witness Intimidation

Multiple reports of:

  • Military visits to witnesses
  • Threats made
  • Silence demanded
  • Jobs threatened
  • Families pressured

Media Management

Authorities attempted:

  • Discredit witnesses
  • Alternative explanations
  • “Mentally disabled man”
  • Dwarf confusion
  • Circus freak theory

Physical Evidence

The X-rays

Allegedly showed:

  • Non-human anatomy
  • Unknown bone structure
  • Different organ placement
  • Copies supposedly exist
  • Never publicly released

Video Evidence

Zoo security camera:

  • Captured military trucks
  • Shows convoy movement
  • Time stamps match
  • Confirms testimony
  • Still exists

Contamination

Officer Chereze’s death:

  • Unknown infection
  • Rapid deterioration
  • Multiple organ failure
  • No clear diagnosis
  • Family questions persist

Investigation Efforts

Ubirajara Rodrigues

Leading UFO researcher:

  • Interviewed all witnesses
  • Documented evidence
  • Published findings
  • Faced opposition
  • Maintains case validity

Vitório Pacaccini

Local researcher:

  • First on scene
  • Gathered testimonies
  • Photographed locations
  • Preserved evidence
  • Dedicated investigation

Media Coverage

Brazilian press:

  • Initially extensive
  • Later suppressed
  • International interest
  • Documentary produced
  • Ongoing attention

The Aftermath

Witness Lives

The three girls:

  • Maintained story always
  • Faced ridicule
  • Some left town
  • PTSD symptoms
  • Never profited

Community Impact

Varginha experienced:

  • Tourism increase
  • UFO identity adopted
  • Economic benefits
  • Cultural shift
  • Annual commemorations

Official Silence

Government maintains:

  • Nothing happened
  • No records exist
  • Case closed
  • Witnesses mistaken
  • Move along

International Interest

Research Teams

Multiple investigations by:

  • American researchers
  • European ufologists
  • Documentary crews
  • Scientific inquiries
  • Ongoing studies

Comparison Cases

Similarities to:

  • Roswell, USA
  • Colares, Brazil
  • Rendlesham, UK
  • Multiple witnesses
  • Military involvement

Alternative Explanations

The “Mudinho” Theory

Officials suggested:

  • Mentally disabled man
  • Covered in mud
  • Mistaken identity
  • Living nearby

Problems:

  • Multiple sightings
  • Different locations
  • Military response
  • Description mismatch

Secret Experiment

Some proposed:

  • Genetic experiment
  • Escaped test subject
  • Military bio-project
  • Cover story needed

Issues:

  • Too many witnesses
  • Creature descriptions
  • Crash reports
  • International tracking

Supporting Evidence

Radar Anomalies

CINDACTA reported:

  • Unusual radar returns
  • Days before incident
  • Unexplained objects
  • Military scrambled
  • Records classified

Animal Reactions

Local farms experienced:

  • Agitated livestock
  • Dogs barking incessantly
  • Cats hiding
  • Birds evacuating
  • Lasted several days

Power Disruptions

Residents reported:

  • Electrical failures
  • Phone line problems
  • TV interference
  • Car malfunctions
  • Centered on areas

Medical Mystery

Officer Chereze’s Death

Suspicious elements:

  • Young, healthy man
  • Rapid illness onset
  • Unknown pathogen
  • No other cases
  • Family blocked from information

Hospital Staff

Medical personnel reported:

  • Unusual protocols
  • Military doctors
  • Restricted access
  • Strange biological samples
  • Ordered silence

Documentary Evidence

”Moment of Contact”

2022 documentary by James Fox:

  • Interviewed key witnesses
  • New revelations
  • Government documents
  • International attention
  • Compelling evidence

Photographic Record

Images exist of:

  • Military convoy
  • Witness locations
  • Area geography
  • Some creature evidence?
  • Mostly confiscated

Cultural Legacy

Varginha Today

The city now features:

  • UFO water tower
  • Alien statues
  • ET tourism
  • Museums
  • Annual events

Brazilian Ufology

Case influenced:

  • Government transparency demands
  • UFO research growth
  • Public awareness
  • Cultural acceptance
  • Disclosure pressure

Ongoing Investigation

New Witnesses

Recent years brought:

  • Military personnel speaking
  • Hospital staff confirming
  • Additional sightings revealed
  • Documents leaked
  • Truth emerging

Government Pressure

Activists demand:

  • Full disclosure
  • Document release
  • Investigation reopening
  • Witness protection
  • Truth commission

Significance

Varginha important because:

  • Multiple credible witnesses
  • Physical beings reported
  • Military involvement documented
  • Death potentially linked
  • Government cover-up evident
  • Cultural impact lasting
  • Investigation continues

Conclusions

The Varginha incident represents:

  • Complex multi-witness case
  • Possible crash retrieval
  • Being capture operation
  • Government secrecy
  • Tragic consequences
  • Ongoing mystery

Whether the creatures were:

  • Extraterrestrial beings
  • Unknown Earth species
  • Secret experiment
  • Interdimensional visitors

The Varginha case stands as one of the most compelling and complex UFO incidents in history. The combination of multiple independent witnesses, military involvement, mysterious death, and ongoing government denial creates a narrative too consistent to dismiss. The courage of witnesses in maintaining their accounts despite pressure, and the dedication of researchers in preserving evidence, ensures that Varginha remains a cornerstone case demonstrating that sometimes the most extraordinary claims are backed by the most ordinary people simply telling the truth about what they witnessed.