El Paso Intelligence Center
The El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) is a federal tactical operational intelligence center established at Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1974. EPIC coordinates intelligence gathering and law enforcement operations along the US-Mexico border, with a primary focus on counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, and border security.
| Type | govt |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | EPIC |
Establishment and Mission
EPIC was established in 1974—the same year as the alleged 1974 Coyame, Mexico UFO Crash Retrieval—and operates as a multi-agency intelligence fusion center. Participating agencies include:
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — lead agency
- FBI
- US Customs and Border Protection
- Department of Defense
- US Coast Guard
- Department of Homeland Security
- Various other federal, state, and local agencies
EPIC's mission includes collecting, analyzing, and disseminating tactical intelligence on cross-border criminal and security threats.
Potential Involvement in Coyame Case
Given EPIC's establishment at Fort Bliss in 1974 and its mission to gather intelligence along the US-Mexico border, the center may have been involved in intelligence collection related to the Coyame incident. Possible roles include:
- Reconnaissance aircraft coordination: EPIC may have coordinated or tasked reconnaissance aircraft overflights of northern Mexico to gather intelligence on the crash site and Mexican military recovery efforts.
- Communications intercepts: EPIC may have intercepted Mexican military radio communications discussing the crash and recovery operations, which were then reported "through channels to the CIA," as described in the Denb Report.
- Intelligence analysis: EPIC may have provided analytical support to the CIA recovery team, including mapping, route planning, and threat assessment for the cross-border operation.
The Denb Report states that "radio interceptions were reported through channels to the CIA," suggesting an intelligence collection and dissemination process consistent with EPIC's mission and capabilities.
Fort Bliss Staging
EPIC's location at Fort Bliss—which served as the staging area for the CIA recovery team—positioned the center to provide direct intelligence support to the operation. The rapid assembly of unmarked helicopters, specialized personnel, and equipment at Fort Bliss within 24 hours of the crash suggests a well-coordinated intelligence and logistics operation, potentially involving EPIC as an intelligence node.
Border Intelligence Context
In 1974, anti-drug smuggling operations along the US-Mexico border were a major priority. EPIC's counter-narcotics mission would have given it operational awareness of cross-border aircraft activity, including small aircraft engaged in smuggling. The Denb Report speculates the civilian aircraft involved in the collision with the UAP may have been engaged in drug smuggling, given its low-altitude flight profile and the prevalence of such operations.
If EPIC was monitoring cross-border air traffic for counter-narcotics purposes on August 25, 1974, it may have detected or been alerted to the civilian aircraft's flight and subsequent disappearance, as well as the unknown object tracked by US Air Defense radar.
Classification
Details of EPIC's involvement (if any) in the Coyame case remain speculative. No official documentation has been released confirming EPIC's role. However, the center's mission, location, and timing of establishment make it a plausible intelligence support asset for cross-border UAP crash retrieval operations.