Brazil’s UFO Files: Complete Summary of Official Releases from 2023 to Operation Saucer
Introduction
Brazil has earned a reputation as one of the most transparent nations in the world when it comes to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), historically known as UFOs. From decades-old military investigations to newly released pilot reports, the Brazilian government has declassified thousands of pages of material — offering an extraordinary glimpse into what many nations still keep hidden.
This article presents a sequential, fully sourced overview of Brazil's most important official UFO file releases — starting with the newest documents made public in 2025, covering pilot encounters from 2023, and moving backward through iconic events like Operation Saucer and the 1986 Night of the UFOs.
🔵 1. June 2025 Release: Brazil Publishes 2023 Pilot UAP Reports
On May 30, 2025, the Brazilian government released 35 official reports filed by commercial pilots throughout 2023. These sightings were part of the annual requirement under Ordinance 551/GC3, which obliges military units and aviation authorities to submit all UAP-related data to the National Archives.
Notable Incidents:
- January 31, 2023 – Near Santa Catarina: A beige, cuboid-shaped object passed within 3 meters of a commercial aircraft. The object left a condensation trail and had no visible means of propulsion.
- March 29, 2023 – Rio de Janeiro Coast: A cigar-shaped craft was seen performing rapid, erratic "jumps" in mid-air.
- April 21, 2023 – Amazonas: Pilots observed luminous, shapeless white objects flying below their aircraft, also making jump-like movements.
These incidents, documented in the Brazilian Air Force's "Hotel Traffic" logs, were reported by professional aviators with thousands of flight hours.
📄 Full Report with Summary:
http://uapbrazil.com/brazilian-national-archives-releases-new-batch-of-uap-documents/
📁 Direct Document Folder (Google Drive Mirror):
http://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P9OfuNQmog_quRZa6gSnrRoTCPmX2viR
📄 Additional write-up and background:
http://www.uapcheck.com/news/id/2024-08-07-brazilian-national-archives-releases-new-batch-of-uap-documents/
🟡 2. 2004–2016: National Archives Open Massive Military UFO Files
Beginning in 2004, following pressure from civilian researchers and public campaigns, the Brazilian Air Force and Ministry of Defense began releasing large volumes of classified documents to the public.
- Over 20,000 pages of military UFO reports were declassified and uploaded to the Arquivo Nacional (National Archives).
- These included radar logs, pilot testimonies, internal military memos, and reports dating back to the 1950s.
🔗 Official Archive Access (Portuguese):
http://an.gov.br/acervos-arquivo-nacional/documentos-sobre-ovnis
🟠 3. 1986: The Night of the UFOs
On the night of May 19, 1986, Brazil experienced one of its most dramatic and well-documented UFO waves, known as A Noite Oficial dos OVNIs.
- At least 21 UFOs were tracked on radar and visually by civilians, commercial pilots, and military personnel.
- The Brazilian Air Force scrambled 6 fighter jets to intercept the objects. The pilots confirmed seeing fast-moving lights executing impossible maneuvers.
- Then-Minister of Aviation, Octávio Moreira Lima, held a public press conference the next day and stated:
“It is not possible to say what the objects were. They were intelligent. They reacted to our presence.”
📄 Official Case Summaries (PDF Archive):
http://ufo.com.br/documentos/noticia-a-noite-oficial-dos-ovnis-1986.pdf
📰 News feature (English):
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2024/10/inside-the-70-year-military-investigation-of-aliens-in-brazil.shtml
🔴 4. 1977: Operation Saucer (Operação Prato)
Between 1977 and 1978, the Brazilian military launched Operation Saucer in response to terrifying reports of UFO attacks in the Amazonian town of Colares, Pará.
- Locals claimed they were being injured by "beams" from flying objects, which they nicknamed "Chupa-Chupa" (suck-suck).
- Dozens of people had burns, puncture wounds, and symptoms consistent with radiation exposure.
- The Brazilian Air Force deployed a team led by Captain Uyrangê Hollanda, who later confirmed they had taken hundreds of photographs and hours of video footage.
- Captain Hollanda died under mysterious circumstances in 1997, just months after going public with his experiences.
📁 Declassified Operation Saucer Documents (Scans):
http://ufo.com.br/documentos-operacao-prato/
📄 Background write-up in English:
http://ufo.com.br/noticias/operation-saucer-the-secret-brazilian-ufo-investigation
🟣 5. Ordinance 551/GC3 – The Law Behind the Releases
In 2009, Brazil issued Ordinance 551/GC3, instructing all branches of the military and aviation sectors to collect and transfer all UAP reports to the Arquivo Nacional annually. This landmark order set Brazil apart globally and continues to fuel new disclosures each year.
📄 Ordinance Summary (in Portuguese):
http://www.fab.mil.br/noticias/ler/12058
Absolutely. Here's an additional paragraph you can add to the article — or drop anywhere within it — that highlights this key point about the authenticity and historic value of the photographs released by the Brazilian government:
📷 Photographic Evidence Predates Modern Manipulation
Many of the photographs included in Brazil’s declassified UFO files were taken decades before the advent of AI image generation, digital editing software, or deepfake technology. These images, especially those from Operation Saucer (1977) and the 1986 Night of the UFOs, were captured on analog film using military-grade and civilian cameras of the era. What makes them even more compelling is that the designs, flight characteristics, and materials described in these early reports often resemble craft that didn’t exist — or weren’t even conceivable — at the time. This fact has led many researchers to consider these documents among the most credible pieces of UFO evidence ever made public.
🧭 Conclusion
Brazil's UFO disclosure isn’t a single event — it’s an ongoing process backed by law, public accountability, and official recognition of unexplained aerial phenomena. From the latest pilot reports of 2023, to military jets chasing craft in 1986, to the eerie lights of 1977’s Amazonian terror, Brazil’s case files provide perhaps the richest, most credible public archive of UFO encounters on Earth.
As more files continue to be released under Ordinance 551/GC3, the world watches Brazil’s approach to the UAP mystery as a model of transparency.
