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Classified Trudeau Memo Raises More Questions About February UFO Shootdowns

Illustration of what a UAP might look like (Canva)
Illustration of what a UAP might look like (Canva)

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In February, three UFOs were shot down over Canada and the United States, and the details surrounding the shootdowns are still secret. A redacted, classified memo to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about one of the shootdowns raises more questions about exactly what happened in February. Additional new information sheds light on why the videos of the shootings were never released.

The memo’s release comes just a little over a month after Congress held a hearing with three witnesses testifying about UFOs. One of these was David Grusch, a whistleblower who alleges that the United States has a secret UAP retrieval and reverse engineering program. 

To review a comprehensive, in-depth breakdown of all of Grusch’s claims, with citations, see our story here. 

The Classified Trudeau Memo Notes that the Object Remains ‘Unverified’

CTV News obtained a redacted copy of the classified memo, which was sent to Trudeau on February 15. The memo discusses the object that was shot down over Yukon after entering Canadian airspace on February 11. 

According to the memo, NORAD tracks numerous objects but most don’t reach the higher threshold for reporting or engagement. This one, labeled UAP #23, was different. It notes that #23’s method of propulsion and function are unverified. Interestingly, the memo also briefly mentions UAP#20, which the U.S. shot down on February 10, and notes that the “full exploitation” of that object was also not yet completed at the time the memo was written.

The memo notes: 

Object #23’s function, method of propulsion, or affiliation to any nation-state remains unverified. It is unknown whether it poses an armed threat or has intelligence collection capabilities. The full exploitation of UAP #20, which was engaged by the U.S. on February 10, 2023, has not yet been complete.d 

After this, there are two paragraphs that are completely redacted (and the memo also begins with a completely redacted paragraph as well.) 

The memo goes on to note that UAP #23 was engaged by a U.S. NORAD F-22 Raptor at 3:30 p.m. Ottawa time. Although Candian F-18s were also dispatched, the F-22s were in a better location to engage the object. 

It then notes: 

The CAF is currently leading recovery operations with aircrafts attempting to identify the impact point and a ground team ready ot proceed to the location; however, the mountainous terrain, existing snow cover and expected new snowfall make prospect of recovery unlikely. 

There’s an interesting note after this where they express concern that “indigenous hunters” might encounter the object first. The memo writes that the area of impact was in a “known Cariboo migration route” and if the object isn’t recovered, then there’s “the possibility of future accidental discovery by indigenous hunters.” 

The next paragraph is also redacted. 

UAP #23 was one of three objects shot down in February after a Chinese spy balloon was shot down on February 4.

In 2022, Canada launched its first official UAP study in three decades, led by the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, CTV reported. The Sky Canada Project will make a report in 2024. This project is only studying how reports are managed, it is not evaluating reports. 

The Pentagon Says Footage of Aircraft Shooting Down the Objects Is Still Classified

The Pentagon still has not released any footage of the aircraft shooting down the objects, saying it’s classified, Fox News reported. A Defense Department spokesman told Fox: “The footage of the high altitude objects and the takedown of those objects exists… (but) none of that footage has been cleared for release… The footage remained classified.”

When John Greenewald of Black Vault also requested the files, he was told the same. The FOIA manager noted: “Under Exemption 1 and AFMAN 33-302, referencing Executive Order (EO) 13526 that apply to the continued classification of information, the requested information is withheld and not releasable.” The exemption listed applies to items “concerning the national defense or foreign policy.” 

In early August, NORAD told Barnett Parker of KOMO TV that the objects weren’t “aliens or extraterrestrials” and they don’t have a gun-camera video to release because the targeting system that took the video is classified. They also noted that NORAD was only responsible for shooting down the Canadian object, and the others were downed by NORTHCOMM. 

Interestingly, during his House hearing, Grusch told Rep. Andy Biggs that he had seen “some of the videos of the recent shoot-down, and I saw no reason that couldn’t have been released as long as they mask some data. The American people deserve to see that imagery in full motion video.”

Hopefully, the push for transparency in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act for 2024 (still to get final approval) will help clear up some mysteries about these objects. Sen. Chuck Schumer has a 64-page amendment that would lead to much information about UAPs being declassifed. (You can read the full amendment here.) 

Sen. Schumer tweet
Sen. Schumer tweet

There’s also a House amendment from Rep. Tim Burchett calling for declassification of all publicly known UAP incidents. 

Timeline of UFO Shootdowns Still Holds Mysteries

Here’s a quick refresher on the UFO shootdowns. While debris was never recovered, according to official reports, many people following the news at the time still have a lot of questions. General Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said in a briefing on February 12: “I’m not going to categorize these balloons. We call them objects for a reason. … I am not able to categorize how they stay aloft. It could be a gaseous type of balloon inside a structure or it could be some type of a propulsion system. But clearly, they’re — they’re able to stay aloft. I would be hesitant to — and urge you not to attribute it to any specific country. We don’t know. That’s why it’s so critical to get our hands on these so that we can further assess and analyze what they are.”

1. A UFO Was Shot Down Over Alaska & Before the Search Was Officially Called Off, a Local Said He Saw Officials Searching & Then Leaving

After the Chinese spy balloon was shot down on February 4, a UFO was shot down over Deadhorse, Alaska on February 10. This is likely what was referred to as UAP #20 in the secret memo to Trudeau.

The search for debris near Deadhorse, Alaska, was called off on February 17 — just seven days after it was shot down. It was called off after “arctic conditions and sea ice instability informed decisions to conclude search operations.” 

Before it was announced that the Alaskan search was called off, a local from Alaska said that he had already noticed that all the people searching had left Deadhorse. The account Backcountry Alaska was providing the updates, but some of the videos have since been taken down. 

Pilots at the time said that the object in Alaska interfered with their planes’ sensors and they couldn’t figure out just how it was staying in the air. 

In early August, NORAD told Barnett Parker of KOMO TV that the objects weren’t “aliens or extraterrestrials” and NORTHCOMM shot down the Alaskan object, not NORAD.

2. The Canadian Yukon UFO Was Shot Down on February 11

UAP #23, the main subject of the memo, was detected on February 11 and shot down over the Canadian Yukon the same day, CTV reported. 

When Canadian officials called off this search, Global News reported that the RCMP noted: “The highest probability area has been searched and the debris was not located… Given the snowfall that has occurred, the decreasing probability the object will be found and the current belief the object is not tied to a scenario that justifies extraordinary search efforts, the RCMP is terminating the search.” 

A hobbyist club in Illinois was missing its balloon at the same time the objects were shot down, and there was speculation the Yukon object might be connected to their balloon. However, this was never confirmed. 

3. The Lake Huron UFO Was Shot Down February 12

Then on February 12, a UFO over Lake Huron was shot down. 

In early August, NORAD told Barnett Parker of KOMO TV that the objects weren’t “aliens or extraterrestrials” and NORTHCOMM shot down the Lake Huron object, not NORAD. 

General Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said in a briefing on February 12: “I’m not going to categorize these balloons. We call them objects for a reason. … I am not able to categorize how they stay aloft. It could be a gaseous type of balloon inside a structure or it could be some type of a propulsion system. But clearly, they’re — they’re able to stay aloft. I would be hesitant to — and urge you not to attribute it to any specific country. We don’t know. That’s why it’s so critical to get our hands on these so that we can further assess and analyze what they are.”

The search for debris near Lake Huron was called off on February 17 — just five days after the object was shot down. It was called off after officials could not identify any debris after days of surface searches and subsurface scans.

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    Stephanie Dwilson started Post Apocalyptic Media with her husband Derek. She's a licensed attorney and has a master's in science and technology journalism. You can reach her at [email protected].

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