Peru UFO Crash Incident
The Peru UFO Crash Incident refers to an alleged encounter between US Marine Corps personnel and a crashed non-human craft during Operation Laser Strike, a classified US counter-narcotics operation in Peru, between March and April 1997. The primary witness is USMC Lance Corporal Jonathan Weygandt, whose testimony constitutes one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of a UAP crash retrieval in the historical record.
| Date | 1997 |
|---|
The Crash
Between 11 p.m. and midnight, Wagant and other MAC G28 Marines at a radar installation were informed of a downed aircraft — possibly friendly — that needed securing. A caravan of 8–10 Marines in Humvees departed around 3–4 a.m. and reached the crash site at first light (6–7 a.m.). The terrain displayed a massive gash where something had cut through the jungle and embedded itself in the side of a roughly 200-foot granite ridge. Vegetation was burned clean rather than broken — as if an energy source had carved through it.
The Craft
The object was a massive metallic egg or teardrop shape measuring approximately 10 meters in height and 20 meters in length. Its surface displayed a fluctuating purplish-green color — the Mother of Pearl Effect — that sometimes rendered the craft nearly translucent. The craft absorbed light rather than reflecting it and cast no shadow in direct sunlight. Its surface appeared organic and sculpted rather than machined. Large gill-like vents ran along the exposed side, and three non-flush hatches sat near the top, one half-open.
A sweeping band of light circled the craft's circumference, gradually slowing as the vehicle powered down. The craft emitted a deep bass hum Wagant compared to a guitar amplifier. Catastrophic damage — an enormous gash in the rear — was visible, attributed by Wagant to Hawk MIM-23 air burst fragmentation rounds likely fired by the Peruvian Air Force. A clear liquid with the viscosity of maple syrup dripped from the craft, coating the surrounding foliage. Through the half-open hatch, Wagant observed what appeared to be a four-fingered arm hanging limply, and reported telepathic contact from tall gray-type entities requesting help.
The Retrieval Team
Within 15–20 minutes of the Marines' arrival, two to four US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters landed in a nearby clearing. Armed men in all-black fatigues without insignia — older men in their late 30s–40s speaking with American dialects — intercepted the Marines. These operators had arrived before the helicopters and had been monitoring the Marines' approach. Approximately 30 Department of Energy personnel then departed the CH-47s wearing rain jackets marked "DOE" and biological containment suits, conducting what appeared to be a full crash recovery operation consistent with NEST (Nuclear Emergency Support Team) capabilities.
UAP Gerb's investigation theorized the retrieval team deployed from Sandia National Laboratories via NEST Cessna Citation 2 jets, arriving within approximately 8 hours, with on-site security provided by US Army 7th Special Forces Group assets already operating in the region. CH-47 helicopters were likely from the 1st Battalion 228th Aviation Regiment under Joint Task Force Bravo. The intelligence leading to the rapid deployment likely came from NRO-managed Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites that had been tracking the object.
Aftermath
Wagant was beaten, restrained, stripped of contaminated clothing by DOE personnel, and flown to an unknown location with permanent structures where he was held underground and interrogated for up to two days. He was threatened with death by a USAF lieutenant colonel and forced to sign confidentiality documents before being driven back to his original base. Wagant was segregated for three weeks before returning to Cherry Point.
Historical Parallels
The egg-shaped craft morphology, the rapid deployment of specialized retrieval teams, and the violent detention of military witnesses parallel multiple other reported crash retrieval incidents, including the 1953 Camp Polk, Louisiana egg-shaped craft incident documented by Leonard Stringfield, the 1965 Kecksburg, Pennsylvania UFO Crash, and the 1974 Coyame, Mexico UFO Crash.