Aguadilla / Puerto Rico infrared recording

Case

Overview

U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft recorded infrared imagery near Rafael Hernández Airport, Aguadilla, at approximately 9:20 p.m. local April 25, 2013 (April 26 UTC). Analysts disagree about object count, speed, water entry and apparent separation; the recording itself does not establish extraordinary behavior.

Investigative phases

2013 airborne recording; civilian SCU-style analysis; March 2025 AARO technical resolution; comparison of camera geometry, tracking and environmental conditions

Reported phenomena

Apparent rapid movement, seeming ocean entry/exit and apparent separation into two targets; disputed interpretations

Public evidence status

Government infrared video publicly available; AARO technical resolution published March 2025; complete underlying flight/sensor metadata not all publicly available

Alternative explanations / caveats

AARO assesses no anomalous or transmedium behavior with high confidence and two sky lanterns as likely with moderate confidence. Earlier independent analysts interpreted apparent high speed, transmedium travel and splitting; interpretations are not equivalent to independently confirmed phenomena.

Next research tasks

Compare original footage and metadata, local/UTC timestamps, wind/lantern feasibility, sensor parallax, georegistration and model sensitivity; seek independent replication and underlying sensor telemetry

Last reviewed

2026-11-05

Assessment

Event date

2013-04-25 local / 2013-04-26 UTC

Source category

CBP infrared video; AARO 2025 report; earlier civilian analysis

Original data accessibility

Video public; original sensor telemetry incomplete

Witness / instrument basis

IR imagery; geometric reconstruction; contested modeling

Corroboration limitations

AARO high-confidence no anomalous motion or water entry; moderate-confidence identification as two sky lanterns; civilian analysts disagree

Extraordinary claim assessment

AARO: conventional flight; two likely lanterns

Current status

Assessed conventional by AARO; competing civilian interpretation unconfirmed

Priority research task

Reconcile local/UTC dates; independently reproduce geometric and wind analysis; locate raw sensor telemetry

Lead source ID

SRC-103; SRC-165; SRC-166

Last reviewed

2026-11-05

Evidence (3)

• CBP infrared recording near Rafael Hernández Airport; AARO March 2025 reconstruction and earlier civilian interpretations Disputed
  CE-123 · 2013-04-25 local / 2013-04-26 UTC · Government infrared video; technical analysis
  Gaps: AARO: viewing geometry/parallax; likely two sky lanterns (moderate confidence). Earlier analysts dispute ordinary-motion interpretation.
• Official infrared recording and local-versus-UTC dating Documented
  CE-170 · 2013-04-25 21:20 Puerto Rico local (approx.) · Original government video
  Gaps: Original sensor calibration/flight telemetry incomplete in public record
• Civilian analysts proposed rapid flight, water entry and splitting; AARO reconstructed two airborne objects with non-anomalous motion Disputed
  CE-171 · 2013 event; later analyses · Competing technical analyses
  Gaps: AARO high confidence no anomalous behavior; moderate confidence sky lanterns; civilian assumptions differ

Documents gathered (3 lines of evidence)

2 readable here · 1 with a linked primary record · 0 still need a document · All cases on the evidence map

• CBP infrared recording near Rafael Hernández Airport; AARO March 2025 reconstruction and earlier civilian interpretations Readable here
  CE-123 · Puerto Rico UAP Case Resolution (read here)
• Official infrared recording and local-versus-UTC dating Primary record linked
  CE-170 · Puerto Rico objects — official UAP imagery
• Civilian analysts proposed rapid flight, water entry and splitting; AARO reconstructed two airborne objects with non-anomalous motion Readable here
  CE-171 · Aguadilla Puerto Rico 2013 UAP incident — civilian technical analysis; Puerto Rico UAP Case Resolution (read here)

On the timeline (1)

• 2013-04-25 local / 2013-04-26 UTC Aguadilla CBP infrared recording near Rafael Hernández Airport; 9:20 p.m. local (approx.) Disputed
  Video documented; AARO finds no anomalous behavior (high confidence), likely two lanterns (moderate); civilian interpretation disputed