In the early morning hours of January 13, 1996, an unusual event unfolded near the Brazilian town of Varginha. NORAD (North American Air Defense Command), an organization established in 1958 to monitor potential threats from the skies, contacted Brazilian air defense about an unidentified object entering Earth's atmosphere approximately 200 miles northeast of São Paulo. This seemingly routine notification would mark the beginning of what many consider one of Brazil's most significant UFO incidents.

Following the object's crash, multiple witnesses reported encounters with strange beings described as having brownish oily skin, large red eyes, and three-fingered hands. The Brazilian military quickly secured the crash site, while local residents, including three young women and several law enforcement officers, claimed to have seen these unusual creatures in various locations around town. These encounters allegedly had serious consequences for some involved, particularly a military policeman who fell mysteriously ill after physical contact with one of the beings.

Key Takeaways

A mysterious aerial object detected by NORAD crashed near Varginha, Brazil in January 1996, prompting immediate military response.
Multiple witnesses reported encounters with unusual beings described as having brownish skin, red eyes, and three fingers.
The incident allegedly resulted in serious health consequences for at least one individual who had direct contact with the entities.

Formation of the North American Aerospace Defense Command

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was established in 1958 with a critical mission to provide early warning systems and defensive capabilities against potential Soviet bomber attacks and missile launches. Initially focused on North American airspace, NORAD quickly expanded its monitoring capabilities to track objects entering Earth's atmosphere worldwide.

NORAD's global surveillance systems have proven invaluable in identifying unidentified flying objects and tracking their trajectories. The command operates sophisticated radar systems that can detect objects entering Earth's atmosphere from space, providing crucial information to military and civilian authorities across different nations.

A notable example of NORAD's international cooperation occurred on January 13, 1996, when the command contacted Brazilian air defense authorities about an unidentified object entering Earth's atmosphere approximately 200 miles northeast of São Paulo. The object, which NORAD could not classify beyond "unidentified," subsequently crashed near a town in the southern region of Minas Gerais.

The Brazilian military responded quickly to NORAD's alert, dispatching Army and Air Force units to secure the crash site. This incident demonstrates NORAD's importance in global aerospace monitoring and its role in facilitating international responses to unusual atmospheric phenomena.

NORAD's surveillance capabilities include:

Tracking of spacecraft and debris re-entering the atmosphere
Early warning of potential threats to national security
Coordination with international partners on aerospace defense
Monitoring of unusual aerial phenomena worldwide

Since its formation, NORAD has evolved from its Cold War origins to address a broader range of aerospace defense challenges, maintaining vigilance over North American airspace while supporting global security through its advanced tracking and early warning systems.

UFO Incident in Varginha

NORAD Detection and Initial Crash

On January 13, 1996, NORAD (North American Air Defense Command) contacted Brazilian air defense authorities about an unidentified object entering Earth's atmosphere approximately 200 miles northeast of São Paulo. The object crashed near the town of Varginha in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais shortly afterward. Brazilian military forces quickly mobilized to secure the crash site, but they were not fast enough to prevent civilian witnesses from observing the incident.

The first witnesses were Eurico and Orolina de Freitas, local farm owners. Before sunrise, Orolina heard their cattle becoming agitated and observed a cigar-shaped craft hovering above their pasture. The object:

Resembled a submarine in shape
Was approximately the size of a school minibus
Emitted white smoke
Appeared to have difficulty maneuvering

The couple watched the unusual craft for approximately one hour before it disappeared over a nearby ridge.

Civilian Encounter with Craft Debris

Carlos de Souza, driving to the airport that morning, became an important witness when he observed the same cigar-shaped object about 300 feet in the air and losing altitude. He noted several distinctive features:

Observable Characteristics Details Shape Cigar-shaped with windows along the side Damage Long crack running through middle Emissions White smoke (not black as expected from conventional fires) Sound Irregular rumbling that occasionally sputtered

De Souza followed the craft in his truck until it passed over small mountains and went into a steep dive. After locating a dirt road that led to the crash area, he discovered wreckage spread across a wide area. The crash site had a powerful stench of ammonia and sulfur, so strong that he had to cover his mouth to breathe.

Among the debris, Carlos found unusual metal fragments that:

Resembled aluminum but were lighter
Returned to their original shape after being crumpled
Floated to the ground like feathers when released

Military Involvement and Secrecy

As Carlos attempted to investigate the crash site further, military vehicles arrived and established a perimeter. Soldiers with raised weapons ordered him to leave the area immediately. The Brazilian military rapidly secured the crash site and began collecting the wreckage while searching for possible survivors.

Following his encounter, Carlos was approached by two tall, neatly dressed men in dark suits who:

Demonstrated knowledge of his personal information, including details about his family
Instructed him to forget everything he had witnessed
Threatened him implicitly to ensure his silence
Departed in an unlicensed black vehicle

Carlos kept his experience secret for 26 years, fearing for his safety and that of his family. The military operation continued with heightened secrecy, suggesting the significance of what had crashed.

Alien Sightings in Varginha

Shortly after the crash, residents began reporting unusual creatures in the town. A college student described seeing a being with oily dark brown skin crouched in an alleyway near a local park. The entity was 4-5 feet tall with very small hands featuring three long fingers, no hair, and no clothing.

Three young women—Lillian, Valkyria, and Katya—had a more direct encounter while taking a shortcut through a vacant lot. They observed a creature with:

Height of approximately four feet
Large head with three distinctive bumps or ridges
Huge red eyes
Brown, shiny or oily skin
Slim, frail body structure

The girls reported feeling the creature's thoughts telepathically, sensing it was frightened, in pain, and needed assistance. When Katya's mother later investigated the area, she discovered unusual three-toed footprints and noted a persistent ammonia odor that lingered for days.

Later that day, military policemen Eric Lopes and Marco Shiraz reportedly captured a similar creature crossing a street. According to accounts, they restrained it and transported it to a hospital where it soon died. Following this contact, Officer Shiraz developed mysterious symptoms:

Sensation of greasy skin despite no physical residue
Persistent ammonia smell
Progressive illness over two weeks
Hospitalization in intensive care
Death at age 23 from undetermined causes

Medical authorities ordered immediate burial in a closed casket, citing public health concerns, though they did release his blood test results.

Aftermath of the Impact

Effects on the Virginia Community

The incident of January 13, 1996, profoundly affected Virginia, a city of approximately 135,000 residents in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The local agricultural economy, primarily based on coffee, corn, and soybean production, was disrupted by military blockades and investigation teams. Farm owners Eurico and Orolina de Freitas were among the first witnesses, observing a cigar-shaped craft hovering over their pasture before dawn. The object, described as submarine-like and approximately the size of a school minibus, emitted white smoke and displayed erratic movement patterns before disappearing beyond a nearby ridge.

Carlos de Souza, another early witness, observed the craft's final moments while driving. He described a vessel with windows along its side, a visible crack emitting white smoke, and intermittent mechanical sounds that suggested critical malfunction. After tracking the craft's descent, Carlos discovered debris that exhibited remarkable properties—metal sheets with negligible weight that returned to their original shape when crumpled.

Three Women's Extraordinary Encounter

In a separate incident that same morning, three young women—Lillian, Valkyria, and Katia—encountered what appeared to be a survivor while taking a shortcut through a vacant lot. The being they described had these distinctive characteristics:

Approximately 4 feet tall
Large head with three protruding ridges
Oversized red eyes
Brown, oily-looking skin
Slim, frail body structure
No visible hair or clothing

What made this encounter particularly remarkable was the apparent telepathic communication. The women reported sensing the entity's emotions without verbal exchange, perceiving its fear, pain, and need for assistance. Overwhelmed, they fled to Katia's home. When they returned with Katia's mother, the being had vanished, but they discovered a three-toed footprint and a persistent ammonia odor that lingered for days. An artist later created an illustration based on their descriptions that would become widely recognized.

Military Personnel Intervention and Health Consequences

Military Police officers Eric Lopes and Marco Shiraz intercepted what appeared to be a similar entity crossing a street during their patrol of the area. Officer Shiraz apprehended the being, which was then transported to a hospital where it reportedly died shortly after arrival. Following this direct contact, Shiraz developed mysterious symptoms:

Sensation of greasy skin without physical evidence
Persistent ammonia odor
Progressive deterioration of health over two weeks

Despite medical intervention and admission to intensive care, Officer Shiraz died at age 23 from undetermined causes. Medical authorities waived the autopsy requirement and mandated immediate burial in a sealed casket, citing public health concerns. Blood test results were preserved, though no definitive conclusions about the cause of death were publicly established.

Varginha Incident Profile

Location and Population

Varginha is situated in the southern area of Brazil's Minas Gerais state. With approximately 135,000 residents, it stands as one of the region's major urban centers. The city's geographical position made it the focal point of an unusual series of events beginning January 13, 1996, when NORAD (North American Air Defense Command) detected an unidentified object entering Earth's atmosphere about 200 miles northeast of São Paulo before crashing near Varginha.

Economic Foundation

The Varginha region's economy primarily centers on agricultural activities. Local farms focus on cultivating coffee, corn, and soybeans as their principal crops. This agricultural landscape provided the backdrop for the incident, with the first reported sighting occurring on a farm owned by Eurico and Oralina de Freitas, who observed a cigar-shaped craft hovering above their pasture in the early morning hours before sunrise.

The military response to the incident was swift and comprehensive, with Brazilian Army and Air Force units quickly establishing a perimeter around the reported crash site. Witnesses described strange beings approximately 4-5 feet tall with brownish, oily skin, large heads with red eyes, and three-fingered hands. Several civilians reported encounters with these entities in various locations around the city.

Local resident Carlos de Souza reported finding unusual debris at the crash site that exhibited strange properties - extremely lightweight metal sheets that would return to their original shape when crumpled. A strong ammonia and sulfur odor permeated the area.

The most notable civilian witnesses included three young women - Lillian, Valquíria, and Katia - who claimed to encounter one of these beings in a vacant lot, describing telepathic communication indicating the creature was frightened and injured.

Military police officers allegedly captured one entity, but officer Marco Shirez later developed mysterious symptoms and died at age 23 from unidentified causes following the encounter.

The Varginha UFO Incident: Brazil's Roswell - Alien Beings, Military Coverup & Witness Testimonies