File 26146 · March 5, 2004
Mexican Air Force FLIR Incident
Campeche, Mexico
Opened 9/9/2026
Ledger illustration of the file — not a photograph of the object. Ledger illustration of the report. — Night Ledger illustration of the file
Standing
Unidentified
On the public record, and still open. A claim, paper, or film — not a finding that it was ours, and not a finding that it was not.
Full Mexican Air Force FLIR Video
Mexican Air Force / SEDENA (news-hosted copy)
Original tape · original language kept
English writing · original voice kept
English writing of the original tape. Mexican Air Force FLIR Incident — Mexican Air Force / SEDENA (news-hosted copy). The voice on the recording is left as it was spoken.
Official Mexican Air Force Star SAFIRE II infrared footage.
What was claimed
Mexican Air Force Merlin C-26 aircraft using infrared camera and radar detected and filmed up to 11 thermal sources invisible to the naked eye during a counter-narcotics patrol.
What is on the record
This file is a working record — a report, not a verdict. Official paper, if any, is linked where we have it.
During a routine anti-drug trafficking surveillance flight over the Campeche region of southern Mexico, the crew of a Mexican Air Force Merlin C-26A aircraft observed three unidentified targets on radar. Switching to the Star SAFIRE II infrared/FLIR system, they recorded multiple bright thermal sources that were not visible optically. The objects appeared to surround the aircraft at similar altitude. The crew, including radar operator Lt. German Marin, reported feeling unease as the objects maneuvered around them before disappearing when pursuit ceased. The Mexican Defense Ministry later confirmed the authenticity of the footage but offered no definitive identification. Independent analyses have proposed explanations ranging from distant oil rig flares to other atmospheric phenomena.
Could this have been ours?
The known sky, that night.
The station was flying. Starlink was not. A string of orbs in this year is usually not a train.
1998 —
International Space Station
A bright, steady moving star. A few minutes to cross. No strobe. Occupied since 2000. NASA publishes the pass times. Not unidentified.
Always
Venus and the bright planets
A fixed brilliant point. Does not streak. Does not hover over a street then leave. Often the first misread light in a rural report.
Always
Aircraft, balloons, meteors
Landing lights, flares, lanterns, reentries, fireballs. They are on the known sky. They do not close a file by themselves — they are what a serious look has to hold the claim against.
Orbit · Space — the desks for lights that are already named.
Sources
Related files
Same craft, same place, same years. A neighbor in the catalogue — not a conclusion.
Same place · Same year · 5 March 2004
Mexican Air Force infrared
Campeche, over the Gulf · Mexico
Unidentified
A C-26 crew filming drug-interdiction infrared recorded a formation of bright objects. The Secretary of Defense released the tape.
Same craft · September 5, 2026, early morning
Green hovering sphere at Burning Man festival
Black Rock City (near Gerlach), Nevada · USA
Unidentified
Three witnesses observed a green hovering sphere that approached, hovered, and slowly departed over approximately 20 minutes during the Burning Man festival. Video and photos captured. First-person Enigma Labs report.
Same craft · September 5, 2026, early morning
Green Hovering Sphere Departs Slowly Over Burning Man
Black Rock City (near Gerlach), Nevada · USA
Unidentified
Three witnesses at the Burning Man festival observed a green hovering sphere that approached from a dot in the sky, hovered above them for a while, then slowly departed. The event lasted about 20 minutes and was captured on video.
Same craft · Weekend of 30 August 2026
Orb swarm over Nevada
Nevada · United States
Identified
A sped-up public clip circulated on X as a swarm of orbs crossing a Nevada night sky.
Same craft · August 26, 2026, ~8:52 PM
Eerie plasmoid orb maneuvers and approaches woman walking dog, Blakely, Pennsylvania
Blakely, Pennsylvania · USA
Unidentified
While walking her neighbor's dog, a woman observed a bright white orb that hovered, then performed rapid maneuvers (up, down, left, right) at high speed. The silent object appeared to approach her, change shape slightly and color to light green, causing fear; the dog reacted strongly. She recorded video.
Same craft · August 26, 2026, ~8:30 PM
Eerie White Orb Interacts with Woman Walking Dog in Blakely
Blakely, Pennsylvania, USA · USA
Unidentified
While walking her neighbor's dog near 764 Main Street, a woman observed a bright white object hovering in the sky. It moved erratically—shooting up, down, left, and right at high speed—and appeared to react to her observation, coming toward her before stopping. The silent orb changed shape and color slightly; the dog reacted fearfully. Video was captured showing the object's maneuvers.