Quick Info
April 25, 2013, 9:19–9:38 p.m. local time. Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN), Aguadilla, northwest Puerto Rico. A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) De Havilland Canada DHC-8-212 aircraft (N851LC), equipped with a Wescam MX-15 electro-optical/infrared turret, captured 18+ minutes of high-resolution infrared video while on routine patrol. The footage shows a single fast-moving object (~120–140 mph ground speed at low altitude ~500–1,000 ft) approaching from the ocean, flying over land without heat signature or visible propulsion, splitting into two separate objects, entering and exiting the Atlantic Ocean multiple times without splash or wake, and performing maneuvers inconsistent with any known aircraft, drone, bird, or balloon.
The object(s) showed no strobe lights, no exhaust plume, and transmedium capability (air-to-water transitions). Released publicly in 2013 via anonymous source, extensively analyzed by the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU) in their 2015 report, which concluded no conventional explanation fits all observables. One of the strongest modern UAP cases due to official government sensor data.
Detailed Timeline and Flight Path Reconstruction
The video metadata and SCU analysis provide precise timing and GPS coordinates. The DHC-8 was flying a standard counter-narcotics patrol pattern at ~5,000 ft, heading southwest along the coast when the object was first detected.
Key timestamps (from video clock):
- 21:19:10 – Object first appears on IR, moving northeast to southwest at high speed (~120–140 mph ground track), low altitude (~500 ft AGL), over ocean approaching shore near Crash Boat Beach.
- 21:19:30–21:20:00 – Object crosses beach, flies over land (parallel to Route 459), no heat signature, no wings/propellers visible, steady speed and altitude.
- 21:20:45 – Object approaches Laguna de Tortuguero (lagoon), descends, enters water without splash, disappears below surface for ~4 seconds.
- 21:21:10 – Object emerges from water, resumes flight, now two objects (split event), both maintain same speed/direction.
- 21:21:40–21:22:30 – Dual objects fly low over land, one splits again briefly, recombines; both enter water near shoreline multiple times (transmedium transitions), no wake or disturbance visible.
- 21:23:00–21:25:00 – Objects continue southwest, disappear from FOV as aircraft banks.
- 21:35–21:38 – Brief reappearance of single object on return leg, same behavior.
SCU reconstruction: Total path ~12–15 miles, average speed 120–140 mph (low for aircraft, high for bird/drone at that altitude), no sonic boom, no heat plume even on water entry/exit.
Video Analysis: Technical Breakdown
The footage is genuine CBP Wescam MX-15 EO/IR (confirmed by SCU, FAA registration N851LC). Key observables:
- No propulsion/heat signature (cold on IR, unlike engines/birds).
- No wings, rotors, or control surfaces (rules out conventional aircraft/drone).
- Split event: single object divides into two identical objects, maintain formation, recombine.
- Transmedium: multiple water entry/exit without deceleration, splash, or wake (impossible for known objects at speed).
- Altitude: ~300–1,000 ft AGL (estimated from terrain comparison and parallax).
- Speed: 120–140 mph (SCU calculation from frame rate and ground track).
- No strobe/navigation lights (illegal for aircraft at night).
SCU 2015 report (78 pages): "No known man-made or natural object can explain the observables." Ruled out balloon, bird flock, drone, lens artifact, compression error.
Witnesses and Official Involvement
No visual sighting by pilots (night flight, IR-only detection). CBP pilots reported object to ATC, no radar hit (low altitude, small RCS). US Coast Guard later searched area, found nothing. Video leaked 2013 via anonymous source (likely CBP insider), authenticated by SCU and Jeremy Corbell (who first publicized it).
"The object moved at high speed, low altitude, entered the water without slowing, and emerged again. Nothing conventional does that."
– SCU analysis summary (2015 report)
Skeptical Explanations and Counterpoints
Skeptics (Mick West, Metabunk): Likely a cluster of balloons or lanterns carried by wind, or a bird (e.g., pelican) with IR glare/compression artifact causing "split" illusion. Water entry could be optical effect or video compression. Speed overestimated due to parallax/zoom.
Counterpoints (SCU, others): Balloons/birds don't split/recombine, don't fly 140 mph low altitude, show heat signature, or enter/exit water cleanly. No wind data matches balloon drift. IR cold signature rules out birds/engines. Split event synchronized, not artifact. Transmedium behavior unmatched by known drones/balloons.
Key Videos and Analyses
More detailed analyses and original footage on YouTube
Legacy in 2026
13 years later, Aguadilla remains a benchmark UAP case: official sensor data, transmedium capability, no prosaic explanation fully fits. Cited in AARO reports, congressional hearings, parallels USS Omaha 2019 spherical transmedium object. Ongoing analysis (SCU updates, AI frame enhancement) keeps it central to disclosure discussions.
