20 January 1996; military inquiry in 1997 / T186
Varginha: creature reports and an expanding capture narrative
Varginha and Três Corações, Minas Gerais
Witness account
Three young women in Varginha reported seeing a strange creature on 20 January 1996. The story expanded through investigators and publicity into allegations of a crash, military capture, transport and concealment of unusual beings. Varginha subsequently incorporated the episode into its civic and tourist identity.
Public record
Brazil’s Superior Military Court archive holds the 1997 military inquiry generated by allegations that named military personnel had captured and transported an extraterrestrial. Its catalog explicitly identifies the claims as allegations and connects them to the August 1996 book Incidente em Varginha. Municipal cultural documentation preserves the event’s public history rather than scientifically validating it.