1991 Varginha Brazil Incident
---
title: "The Varginha UFO Incident - January 20, 1996"
description: "Multiple witnesses in Varginha, Brazil reported seeing strange creatures and UFOs, followed by military involvement, mysterious deaths, and what locals call 'Brazil's Roswell' - one of the most complex UFO cases in South American history."
date: 1996-01-20
location: "Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil"
coordinates: [-21.5514, -45.4305]
type: "Crash Retrieval with Beings"
witnesses: "Multiple civilians, military, and officials"
duration: "Several days of activity"
tags: ["Varginha", "Brazil", "alien beings", "military capture", "cover-up"]
---
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
- 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
- Screamed in terror
- Thought it was devil
- Ran home crying
- Told their mothers
- Genuinely traumatized
- Never changed story
- January 13: NORAD tracked object
- Entered Brazilian airspace
- Alerted Brazilian authorities
- Crash anticipated
- Military prepared
- Farm couple Oralina and Eurico
- Saw object crash
- Smoke rising
- Military arrived quickly
- Area cordoned off
- Army trucks spotted
- Unusual troop movement
- Fire department called
- Specific equipment brought
- Coordinated operation
- Military capturing beings
- At least two creatures
- One near girls' sighting
- Another different location
- Nets and boxes used
- Received unusual call
- "Capture wild animal"
- Arrived to find military
- Saw strange creature
- Ordered to assist
- Creature in net
- Not normal animal
- Military in charge
- Sworn to secrecy
- Some later spoke out
- Military convoy arrived
- Unusual security measures
- Staff ordered away
- Secret patient admitted
- Strange smell reported
- Second creature brought
- Small body bag
- X-rays taken
- Doctors involved
- Death occurred
- 4-5 feet tall
- Brown/gray skin
- Large red eyes
- Three protrusions on head
- Thin limbs
- No apparent clothing
- Ammonia-like smell
- Appeared injured/weak
- Made buzzing sounds
- Seemed intelligent
- Avoided capture
- Non-aggressive
- Frightened appearance
- Helped capture creature
- Direct physical contact
- Became mysteriously ill
- Died February 15, 1996
- Official cause: pneumonia
- Family suspects cover-up
- Examined creature body
- Non-human characteristics
- Ordered to silence
- Later denied involvement
- Conflicting statements
- Participated in operation
- Saw captured beings
- Transported to facilities
- Threatened if talked
- Some later confirmed
- No unusual operations
- No captured creatures
- Routine exercises only
- Witnesses mistaken
- Case closed
- Military visits to witnesses
- Threats made
- Silence demanded
- Jobs threatened
- Families pressured
- Discredit witnesses
- Alternative explanations
- "Mentally disabled man"
- Dwarf confusion
- Circus freak theory
- Non-human anatomy
- Unknown bone structure
- Different organ placement
- Copies supposedly exist
- Never publicly released
- Captured military trucks
- Shows convoy movement
- Time stamps match
- Confirms testimony
- Still exists
- Unknown infection
- Rapid deterioration
- Multiple organ failure
- No clear diagnosis
- Family questions persist
- Interviewed all witnesses
- Documented evidence
- Published findings
- Faced opposition
- Maintains case validity
- First on scene
- Gathered testimonies
- Photographed locations
- Preserved evidence
- Dedicated investigation
- Initially extensive
- Later suppressed
- International interest
- Documentary produced
- Ongoing attention
- Maintained story always
- Faced ridicule
- Some left town
- PTSD symptoms
- Never profited
- Tourism increase
- UFO identity adopted
- Economic benefits
- Cultural shift
- Annual commemorations
- Nothing happened
- No records exist
- Case closed
- Witnesses mistaken
- Move along
- American researchers
- European ufologists
- Documentary crews
- Scientific inquiries
- Ongoing studies
- Roswell, USA
- Colares, Brazil
- Rendlesham, UK
- Multiple witnesses
- Military involvement
- Mentally disabled man
- Covered in mud
- Mistaken identity
- Living nearby
- Multiple sightings
- Different locations
- Military response
- Description mismatch
- Genetic experiment
- Escaped test subject
- Military bio-project
- Cover story needed
- Too many witnesses
- Creature descriptions
- Crash reports
- International tracking
- Unusual radar returns
- Days before incident
- Unexplained objects
- Military scrambled
- Records classified
- Agitated livestock
- Dogs barking incessantly
- Cats hiding
- Birds evacuating
- Lasted several days
- Electrical failures
- Phone line problems
- TV interference
- Car malfunctions
- Centered on areas
- Young, healthy man
- Rapid illness onset
- Unknown pathogen
- No other cases
- Family blocked from information
- Unusual protocols
- Military doctors
- Restricted access
- Strange biological samples
- Ordered silence
- Interviewed key witnesses
- New revelations
- Government documents
- International attention
- Compelling evidence
- Military convoy
- Witness locations
- Area geography
- Some creature evidence?
- Mostly confiscated
- UFO water tower
- Alien statues
- ET tourism
- Museums
- Annual events
- Government transparency demands
- UFO research growth
- Public awareness
- Cultural acceptance
- Disclosure pressure
- Military personnel speaking
- Hospital staff confirming
- Additional sightings revealed
- Documents leaked
- Truth emerging
- Full disclosure
- Document release
- Investigation reopening
- Witness protection
- Truth commission
- Multiple credible witnesses
- Physical beings reported
- Military involvement documented
- Death potentially linked
- Government cover-up evident
- Cultural impact lasting
- Investigation continues
- Complex multi-witness case
- Possible crash retrieval
- Being capture operation
- Government secrecy
- Tragic consequences
- Ongoing mystery
- Extraterrestrial beings
- Unknown Earth species
- Secret experiment
- Interdimensional visitors
The Creature
The girls described seeing:
Immediate Reaction
The witnesses:
Earlier Events
NORAD Detection
Reports suggest:
The Farmland Crash
January 13, 1996:
Military Response
Army Movement
January 20 morning:
Creature Capture
Multiple witnesses reported:
Fire Department Involvement
The Call
Fire department personnel:
Firefighter Testimony
Several firefighters confirmed:
Hospital Incidents
Regional Hospital
Night of January 20:
Humanitas Hospital
January 21-22:
The Beings
Physical Description
Consistent witness descriptions:
Behavior
Witnesses noted:
Key Witnesses
Marco Eli Chereze
Police officer involved:
Dr. João Bosco Manoel
Pathologist claimed:
Military Personnel
Several soldiers reported:
The Cover-Up
Official Denials
Brazilian military stated:
Witness Intimidation
Multiple reports of:
Media Management
Authorities attempted:
Physical Evidence
The X-rays
Allegedly showed:
Video Evidence
Zoo security camera:
Contamination
Officer Chereze's death:
Investigation Efforts
Ubirajara Rodrigues
Leading UFO researcher:
Vitório Pacaccini
Local researcher:
Media Coverage
Brazilian press:
The Aftermath
Witness Lives
The three girls:
Community Impact
Varginha experienced:
Official Silence
Government maintains:
International Interest
Research Teams
Multiple investigations by:
Comparison Cases
Similarities to:
Alternative Explanations
The "Mudinho" Theory
Officials suggested:
Problems:
Secret Experiment
Some proposed:
Issues:
Supporting Evidence
Radar Anomalies
CINDACTA reported:
Animal Reactions
Local farms experienced:
Power Disruptions
Residents reported:
Medical Mystery
Officer Chereze's Death
Suspicious elements:
Hospital Staff
Medical personnel reported:
Documentary Evidence
"Moment of Contact"
2022 documentary by James Fox:
Photographic Record
Images exist of:
Cultural Legacy
Varginha Today
The city now features:
Brazilian Ufology
Case influenced:
Ongoing Investigation
New Witnesses
Recent years brought:
Government Pressure
Activists demand:
Significance
Varginha important because:
Conclusions
The Varginha incident represents:
Whether the creatures were:
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.