Secret memo about shooting down a UFO sent to Justin Trudeau in Feb becomes public
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received a surprising memorandum concerning an unidentified flying object (UFO) incident in Canada’s Yukon territory.
This memo came to his attention in February, shortly before the search for the mysterious unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), or ‘UFOs,’ was suspended.
This classified document revealed that the Yukon object marked the 23rd UAP sighting over North America in the early weeks of 2023.
It followed a disruptive event involving a Chinese espionage balloon that entered US airspace on February 4. Subsequently, US authorities reported three more incidents of objects being downed from the sky.
Besides the object in Yukon, puzzling aerial entities were also intercepted over Alaska and Montana between February 10 and February 13.
Trudeau’s administration has now disclosed that, while many of these UAPs appeared benign, ‘Object #23’s purpose, mode of propulsion, or connection to any nation-state remains unverified.’
This heavily censored document, dated February 15, was acquired by CTV News through a freedom of information request. It uncovered the perplexity among Trudeau’s top officials regarding the object. Just two days later, attempts to recover the craft in the rugged terrain were abandoned, leaving Canadian authorities uncertain about its nature.
The document provides insights into Trudeau’s response to the series of UFO sightings that captivated the Western world early in the year, preceding several hearings in the US Congress on the possible existence of extraterrestrial craft.
Downplaying the frequency of UAP detections, the memo notes that NORAD tracks and identifies objects on an annual sequential basis, with most of them later identified as non-threatening.
President Biden, following suit, declared on February 16 that the three objects posed no public threat and were likely associated with private research.
Despite their proximity to the Chinese espionage balloon, the US intelligence community believed these objects were probably weather balloons used by private companies or research institutions.
In contrast, Canadian officials insisted on analyzing the debris before reaching conclusions.
However, the search efforts were halted due to adverse weather conditions.
Marco Mendicino, Trudeau’s Public Safety Minister, acknowledged the possibility of not recovering the objects, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding their nature.
The memo underscores the unknowns: “It is unknown whether it poses an armed threat or has intelligence collection capabilities.”
The impact site lies along a caribou migration route, raising concerns about Indigenous hunters making accidental discoveries.
The craft was initially detected on February 11 and was shot down on the same day by a US military F-22 fighter jet.
Described as ‘cylindrical,’ it resembled the object shot down over Lake Huron, leading to speculation that they might be related to the infamous ‘tic-tac’ UFO observed by the US Navy in 2004.
Audio recordings from the cockpit reveal the confusion of the fighter jet pilots as they struggled to define the object, alternately describing it as a ‘small, metallic balloon’ and something distinct from a balloon.
The memo is a significant example of NORAD’s cooperation—a joint US-Canadian military defense initiative responsible for safeguarding North American airspace.
It explains that NORAD Canadian CF-18 Hornets were dispatched, but the F-22s were better positioned for interception based on timing, location, and fading light.
The document’s heavy redactions, carried out under sections 15 and 69 of Canada’s Access to Information Act (related to national security and cabinet confidentiality), indicate the sensitivity of the matter.
CTV News obtained the memo initially from a civilian researcher, and their FOI request later produced the same document.
(With inputs from agencies)
