Carlos de Sosa
Carlos de Sosa is a Brazilian ultralight pilot, geography teacher, and entrepreneur who was a firsthand witness to the crash of an unidentified craft near Varginha, Minas Gerais, on the morning of 20 January 1996 — an incident that became part of the broader 1996 Varginha UFO incident. He arrived at the crash site before the military cordon was established, handled self-reforming metallic debris, and was removed at gunpoint by Brazilian military personnel.
Crash testimony
Main article:
1996 Varginha UFO incident
De Sosa's detailed crash witness account — including his description of the cylindrical craft, the self-reforming debris material, the military response, the men in dark suits who confronted him at a nearby cafe, the subsequent site investigation by ufologist Claudeir Covo, and the laboratory analysis of unknown chemical compounds at the crash site — is documented in the 1996 Varginha UFO incident article.
Subsequent intimidation
Following the broadcast of his account on Brazilian television network Globo — after Covo shared the interview without his permission — de Sosa was subjected to ongoing surveillance, phone monitoring, repeated tax and regulatory inspections at his company, and unmarked vehicles stationed outside his business. He moved households and changed phone numbers repeatedly during this period.
Public disclosure
After approximately 25 years of silence, de Sosa was contacted by Brazilian researcher Marco La, who re-recorded his testimony and found it word-for-word identical to his original account. La subsequently introduced de Sosa to American filmmaker James Fox, who featured him in the documentary Moment of Contact (2022). De Sosa was interviewed again by Jesse Michels for the American Alchemy podcast in 2026, alongside neurosurgeon Italo Venta and forensic pathologist Armando Vidal. De Sosa reports receiving no compensation for any of his testimony or participation.