James Fox Unveils New Evidence in Washington Regarding the 1996 Varginha UAP Incident

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in Washington, D.C., investigative filmmaker James Fox hosted a significant press conference to reveal new evidence concerning the 1996 Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) incident in Varginha, Brazil. Fox introduced sworn testimonies from primary witnesses that he claims link the event to a craft crash and subsequent contact with non-human biological entities. These accounts, according to Fox, point toward the existence of classified government recovery operations.

Held at the National Press Club, the briefing aimed to capitalize on the current wave of public interest in UAP disclosure to exert pressure on the executive branch. The event gained political traction with the attendance of Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri, a member of the Congressional UAP Caucus. Fox, recognized for his documentary work on "The Phenomenon" and "Moment of Contact," described the Varginha case as the most persuasive modern instance of a retrieval involving living non-human beings.

Among the witnesses providing testimony was Carlos de Souza, an ultralight pilot and geography teacher who recounted seeing a cigar-shaped object crash. Other testimonies came from Liliane Silva, Katia Xavier, and Luiza Helena de Silva, who reported seeing a creature in a residential district. Significant attention was directed toward Dr. Italo Venturelli, a neurologist at Varginha Regional Hospital, who claimed to have observed the entity during medical care. Dr. Venturelli described the being as having a teardrop-shaped skull and lilac eyes, noting that it appeared "angelic" and maintained a calm demeanor while establishing a telepathic connection.

The conference also featured forensic pathologist Dr. Armando Fortunato, who conducted an analysis of tissue samples from a deceased Brazilian soldier allegedly exposed to one of the entities. Fox noted that medical professionals identified an extremely rare and sophisticated bacterium in the samples, which he suggested implies an extraterrestrial origin. The case remains marked by the tragedy of Officer Marco Eli Chereze, who reportedly captured one of the beings with his bare hands and later died of a bacterial infection, though some researchers suspect the influence of an unknown biological agent.

Although a 1997 official investigation by the Brazilian military attributed the sightings to the misidentification of a local homeless man, witnesses like de Souza, who observed debris resembling self-repairing crumpled foil, continue to assert the event's reality. The event included commentary from NewsNation’s Ross Coulthart and Megan Ourada and was organized into two parts: a morning session for Brazilian witnesses and an afternoon session for American insiders. These participants discussed recovery programs and the necessity for broader protections for whistleblowers.

The presence of retired Colonel Fred Clausen added a layer of military authority to the evidence presented. This strategic gathering represents an effort to validate the long-standing Varginha claims by presenting medical and military testimony within the context of the U.S. Congress's current focus on UAP transparency. By bringing these accounts to the heart of Washington, Fox aims to bridge the gap between historical reports and modern legislative inquiry.