--- title: "Government Whistleblower Says There Was a Secret Pentagon Program to “Trap” UFOs" description: "A UFO whistleblower who claims that the government is hiding knowledge of extraterrestrials is doubling down on his claims in a new memoir." date: "2024-08-22" modified: "2024-08-22" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/government-whistleblower-pentagon-ufo-traps" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "Pentagon" - "the digest" - "uaps" - "ufos" --- # Government Whistleblower Says There Was a Secret Pentagon Program to “Trap” UFOs ![A UFO whistleblower who claims that the government is hiding knowledge of extraterrestrials is doubling down on his claims in a new memoir.]() *UFO appearing from whirlpool, illustration \Image: VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images\* ## Big Talk A UFO whistleblower and ex-Pentagon official who claims that the government is hiding its knowledge of extraterrestrials is doubling down on his claims in a new memoir. As the [*Daily Beast*]() and [other outlets report](), whistleblower Luis Elizondo's new book, "Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs," contains in more detail the same kinds of contentions he has long put forth with the help of the [*New York Times*]() and [Blink-182's Tom DeLonge](). In an [interview with the *Daily Mail*](), Elizondo said he's finally been cleared by the Pentagon to tell the full truth about his claims, which include his assertion that he'd seen glowing green orbs in his house after he began leading a secretive Army office looking into what the government calls "unidentified anomalous phenomena" or UAPs. As he said in his interview with the British tabloid, the ex-official was also privy to knowledge of "traps" the government set up to catch and capture UAPs. "We had a plan to set up a real big nuclear footprint," Elizondo said, "something we knew would be irresistible for these UAP." Once these unwitting ETs fell for the ruse, "the trap would be sprung," he continued. ## Trapped In As with [claims made]() by other [government whistleblowers]() and [true believers](), Elizondo's insistence on a widespread US government conspiracy to hide the truth about aliens from the American people seems to [fall apart under scrutiny](). In a [thread on r/UFOs]() where his *Daily Mail* interview was posted, for instance, an incredulous Redditor pointed out just how ridiculous the crux of that claim really is. "Setting up honey pots for UFOs sounds like a terrible idea," [the user commented](). "Who knows what type of thing you could end up attracting?" Indeed, if any members of an extraterrestrial race were sophisticated enough not only to travel untold lightyears to Earth but also to hide themselves from us, it seems almost humorous that our human attempts at deception would work. As ever, we very much do want to believe — but in the case of Elizondo's new book, the only thing that seems provable is that he's on a book tour, with all the pressure to drive sales that process typically entails. **More on UFOs:** [*New Campaign Urges Presidential Debate Moderators to Ask Candidates About UFOs*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()