Socorro, New Mexico: Lonnie Zamora landing (24 Apr 1964)
Unproven Handling What these labels mean →Socorro police officer Lonnie Zamora broke off a speeder chase at ~5:45 pm to check a roar and a blue-orange flame, thinking a dynamite shack had blown. He saw a whitish, aluminum-like oval object ('like an overturned car'), ~20 ft, on two legs in an arroyo, with two small figures in white coveralls beside it; one seemed startled. After two or three loud 'thumps', it rose on a roaring blue/orange flame, then left nearly horizontally and silently over the mountain. It bore a red insignia (~30" × 24"). The FBI was on scene within the hour: SA D. Arthur Byrnes Jr. saw four regular ~16×6-inch depressions in a rectangular pattern ~12 ft apart, burned grass clumps, and three 4-inch circular prints, and vouched that Zamora was 'sober… not given to fantasy'. FBI HQ policy: don't investigate, make sure the Air Force knows. A second report followed (La Madera, 26 Apr, a scorched 30–40 ft circle). Project Blue Book (Hynek) left Socorro 'unidentified'.
Ties
| To | Role | Years | Verdict | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Allen Hynek | investigated for Blue Book; case left 'unidentified' | 1964 | Documented · occurred | en.wikipedia.org |
| Project Blue Book | one of its best-known unknowns | 1964 | Documented · occurred | |
| Varginha incident (1996) | the small-being pattern | 1964/1996 | Concept | |
| Suppression pattern | FBI policy: 'not to investigate but assure that Air Force is cognizant'; more responsive FBI records exist but weren't processed; originals at NARA | 1964–2020 | Documented · occurred Handling | documents2.theblackvault.com |
| Vallee on the Bigelow podcast (Sept 2026) | Vallée: Socorro's small beings in a pattern with Trinity, Valensole, Varginha | 2026 | Concept |
Tied from
| From | Role | Years | Verdict | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child-like Alien Bodies Found inside UFO - Scott & Suzanne Ramsey (Area52) | discussed | 1964 | — | youtube.com |
Mentioned in
Links
- Black Vault: FBI Socorro file (FOIPA 1474900, 2020) (user-supplied; read in full)
- Wikipedia: Lonnie Zamora incident
From the FBI file (Black Vault FOIPA 1474900-000, released Sept 2020)
| Item | Record | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque teletype (25 Apr 1964): Zamora 'sober, dependable, mature, not of fantasy'; oval ~20 ft; red insignia; four depressions ~16×6 in, ~12 ft apart; four smoldering areas | FBI SAC Albuquerque | FBI teletype |
| SA Byrnes was at the site the same evening; placed rocks around the marks; took Zamora's statement 'under lengthy interrogation' with the Army range commander (Stallion Range Center) | LHM 8 May 1964 | FBI on scene |
| Byrnes's observations: 4 angled depressions ~2 in deep; 3 burned grass clumps inside, 1 outside; 3 smooth circular prints ~4 in wide, 1/8 in deep | LHM | physical traces |
| FBI HQ airtel (28 Apr 1964): 'Our policy is not to investigate but assure that Air Force is cognizant' | FBI HQ | FBI deferral |
| Operation Cloud Gap (joint DoD / Arms Control and Disarmament Agency) was active in the Southwest; the military said Socorro was not part of it 'to their knowledge' | Albuquerque teletypes | Cloud Gap ruled out (as stated) |
| Second incident: La Madera, NM (26 Apr, 1 am): an object with blue-white flame from 'portholes'; a scorched circle 30–40 ft; a V-shaped 8×12-in indentation; 3.5-in circular prints | NMSP captain via FBI | La Madera |
| The FBI says additional responsive records exist and weren't processed; originals transferred to NARA | FOIPA cover letter | unprocessed records |
Alleged / explanations
| Item | Source | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| A student hoax (New Mexico Tech) | Later suggestion (Colgate letter, 1968); unproven | hoax |
| A secret lunar-lander prototype or military test | Speculation; the military denied knowledge | test craft |
Gaps
- The unprocessed FBI records and the NARA originals (FOIA row #47).