Inquérito Policial Militar (IPM) No. 18/97 — Incidente em Varginha

This document is a compilation of records from a Military Police Inquiry (IPM No. 18/97) conducted by the Brazilian Army's Escola de Sargentos das Armas (EsSA). The inquiry was formally initiated by General Sérgio Pedro Coelho Lima on January 29, 1997, following a report (Parte Nr 006-E2) regarding the book 'Incidente em Varginha' authored by Vitório Pacaccini and Maxs Portes. The book alleged that a military operation occurred in Varginha, Minas Gerais, involving the capture of an extraterrestrial creature. The primary objective of the military inquiry was to investigate the movements of EsSA personnel and vehicles during January 1996 to verify if any military activity in Varginha coincided with the claims made in the book. The inquiry includes testimonies from various military officers, sergeants, and soldiers who were stationed at EsSA during the period in question. These witnesses were questioned about their daily routines, their knowledge of vehicle maintenance trips to Varginha, and whether they had any contact with the authors of the book. The testimonies consistently state that military vehicles were sent to the 'AUTOMACO' dealership in Varginha for routine maintenance, as no local facilities in Três Corações were authorized by Mercedes-Benz to perform the necessary work. The witnesses denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, the alleged extraterrestrial incident and stated they did not know the authors of the book. The document serves as an official administrative record of the military's internal investigation into the claims, documenting the procedural steps taken, including the appointment of an investigating officer (Tenente-Coronel Lúcio Carlos Finholdt Pereira) and an inquiry clerk (3° Sargento Vinicius Proba dos Santos), as well as the scheduling of witness depositions.