Case · C-073

Aguadilla: the object that seemed to enter the sea, two lanterns according to AARO

Rafael Hernández Airport, Aguadilla (Puerto Rico) · Puerto Rico (United States) · Apr 26, 2013

In flight Police Video

What happened

On the evening of April 26, 2013, the infrared sensor of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection DHC-8 aircraft recorded, above Rafael Hernández airport, an object that seemed to move quickly, split in two, and enter and exit the Atlantic; the video, later circulated publicly, has been cited as an example of a “trans-medium” object, among others by Luis Elizondo and the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies. With a three-dimensional reconstruction of the aircraft's route and the sensor angle, AARO concluded that there were two distinct objects drifting with the wind at about 13 km/h, at an altitude of about 200 meters and always over land. The analysis was presented to the Senate on November 19, 2024, and published as a report on March 20, 2025, together with a reconstruction video.

Proposed explanation

AARO assesses with high confidence that the objects had no anomalous performance or trans-medium capability and with moderate confidence that they were two flying lanterns, which hotels in the area often release during parties; the disappearance “into the water” is said to be due to thermal crossover, that is, the lack of thermal contrast with the sea. Mick West (Metabunk) had long pointed to lanterns and parallax. The report of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU), preceding AARO's analysis, instead claimed high speeds and passages between air and water; The Black Vault's March 2025 article does not report an SCU reply.

Official investigation

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (recording); AARO (2024-2025 analysis)

Words of the document

The objects did not enter the water.

Official documents

1. Case Resolution: "The Puerto Rico Object" · All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) (The Black Vault copy) · Mar 20, 2025
2. AARO Case Slides (Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities hearing) · All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) · Nov 19, 2024
3. 2013 Puerto Rico Object Reconstruction · Department of Defense (DVIDS) / AARO · Mar 20, 2025

Sources

1. The Black Vault, the DoD report attributes the Aguadilla case to lanterns, earlier studies say otherwise (March 2025) (analysis)
2. DefenseScoop, AARO briefs the Senate on the GO FAST, Puerto Rico and Etna cases (November 19, 2024) (press)
3. Mick West, factual errors in Elizondo's “Imminent” on GIMBAL, FLIR1, GOFAST and Aguadilla (Metabunk, August 23, 2024) (analysis, skeptical)
4. UAP Files, “Debunking the Debunker: My Response to Mick West's Critique” (Substack, August 27, 2024) (analysis, pro-disclosure)

On this site

People 3

• Jon Kosloski
• Mick West
• Luis Elizondo

Claims 2

• Luis Elizondo: Writes that the object filmed at Aguadilla (Puerto Rico) dove into the ocean, presenting it as an example of… Contradicted
• Luis Elizondo: In the book he attributes to Under Secretary of Defense Ron Moultrie, whom he calls “Ronald Moultrue,” an… Contradicted

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