Ufologist Laussid Launches Investigation into UFO Reports in Piauí State

Renowned ufologist Alexandre Laussid, the driving force behind the international research network Braufonet (Brazil UFO Network), headquartered in Recife, has officially announced the commencement of a thorough investigation into a recent surge of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings reported across the Brazilian state of Piauí. This significant declaration was made public on Thursday, January 8, 2026, during an appearance on the Rádio Cidade Verde program, “Cidade Verde Notícias,” hosted by journalist Francisco José.

Laussid confirmed that his dedicated team is mobilizing to travel to Piauí. Their mission will involve gathering physical evidence and meticulously analyzing eyewitness testimonies related to two distinct sets of incidents. These incidents span geographically distant areas: the city of Floriano, situated approximately 246 kilometers from the state capital, Teresina, and the agricultural territories surrounding the municipality of Barras, located in the northern sector of Piauí. The ufologist stressed the critical importance of employing rigorous technical standards and methodological criteria when assessing these reports to effectively separate verifiable facts from speculative conjecture.

The groundwork for this current inquiry was partially laid in December 2025, when residents in the rural zone of Barras first came forward with accounts of peculiar aerial phenomena and alleged UFO appearances. This initial wave of reports drew the attention of other researchers, including members of UPUPI, who subsequently conducted preliminary observations and collected statements in the area. Alexandre Laussid already possesses established connections within Piauí’s ufological community; he has previously participated in congresses held in Teresina and visited the Alnilan community in the União municipality, where a specialized station was once established in an effort to attempt contact with unidentified craft.

The timing of this 2026 investigation holds particular resonance due to a historical anniversary: January 2026 marks three decades since the infamous Varginha incident in Minas Gerais state, which occurred in January 1996. Laussid views this Varginha event as a watershed moment that significantly broadened the national conversation surrounding the UFO phenomenon across Brazil. Coincidentally, around this same time, the Superior Military Tribunal (STM) released documentation from its own inquiry (IPM) into the Varginha case. The STM’s findings concluded that the events were “implausible,” suggesting that the entity witnessed was likely a human individual suffering from mental health issues, often referred to locally as “Mudinho” (Luiz Antonio de Paula).

The STM’s official investigation, which concluded in 1997, ultimately attributed the initial reports to a “mistaken interpretation” of what was observed. This stark contrast—the official skepticism regarding Varginha set against Laussid’s current professional pursuit of new reports in Piauí—highlights the enduring public fascination with unexplained aerial events throughout the nation. Furthermore, Laussid offered general counsel to the public, urging caution in documenting any encounters and advising immediate notification to specialized researchers and relevant authorities upon witnessing similar phenomena.

While the Barras area has previously been the site of documented nocturnal light displays and alleged pursuits, alongside daytime sightings of “silvery, luminous beings,” Laussid’s team is committed to deploying a strictly structured methodology to evaluate all incoming data from Piauí. This focused investigation in Piauí represents a concerted effort to apply a systematic, scientific framework to the current influx of reports concerning unidentified phenomena within that specific region.