Whistleblowers & Witnesses

Marco Eli Chereze

1996

Brazilian military police corporal who, according to witness accounts, subdued the alleged Varginha creature and transported it by vehicle. Died February 7, 1996 of a rapidly progressing bacterial infection after arm surgery; some UFO researchers attribute the infection to exposure to the creature, a claim with no scientific verification. His family says the military pressured them to bury his body quickly; a legal effort to exhume it for further testing was reportedly underway as of 2026.

Explore Marco Eli Chereze in the live connections board → Open the case file

Connections (3)

confirmedDr. Armando Fortonado

performed his autopsy and found an unusually virulent infection

confirmedJames Fox

presented testimony about his case and a push to exhume his body

Source: 1996 Varginha incident; James Fox, Moment of Contact (2022) & 2026 conference

disputedVarginha Incident (1996)

witnesses say he subdued the creature; died weeks later of an infection some attribute to the encounter

Source: 1996 Varginha incident; James Fox, Moment of Contact (2022) & 2026 conference

Part of The Red Thread Files — an independent, evidence-first investigation into the UAP, USO, and consciousness question. Confidence labels (confirmed / reported / disputed) are an automated approximation based on the wording and directness of each source, not a verdict. Corrections: [email protected].