Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Luis Elizondo, a former senior intelligence official, headed a Pentagon program investigating U.F.O.s, later known as unidentified anomalous phenomena (U.A.P.). According to New York Times, he resigned in 2017 due to secrecy and lack of resources, publicly criticizing the program’s limitations.
In his new memoir, Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for U.F.O.s, Elizondo claims that a long-running secret crash retrieval program has recovered technology and biological materials of nonhuman origin. The book is being published by HarperCollins following a Pentagon security review.
While Elizondo’s claims have sparked discussions, a Pentagon spokesperson stated that no verifiable information supports the existence of programs focused on extraterrestrial material or reverse-engineering such technology.
Elizondo describes the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) and his challenges investigating U.F.O.s, including Navy pilot sightings and data from military operations. His efforts contributed to the release of unclassified Navy U.A.P. videos in 2017.
The memoir expresses concerns over nonhuman technology far surpassing current U.S. or global capabilities. Elizondo argues that these craft pose serious national security risks and could be a potential existential threat to humanity.
Elizondo explains that since the 1940s, U.F.O. sightings and crashes have been tightly controlled, particularly during the Cold War. He notes that technology from these incidents could have shifted the global power balance.
Elizondo also details personal encounters with green-glowing orbs that he and his family witnessed at their home. He claims these orbs behaved as if under intelligent control, with the ability to pass through walls.
The Pentagon's U.F.O. program has evolved into the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (A.A.R.O.), tasked with studying U.A.P. sightings. Elizondo continues to provide classified information to this program, emphasizing the importance of understanding these phenomena.