Earlier this calendar month , agentive role from both the FBI and the U.S. Air Force raided multiple home belonging to a man who runs a little - bang blog about Area 51 . That human , Joerg Arnu , suppose a drove of federal agents in debauchery gear busted into his primary abode , manacle him , then marched him outside to wait in the freezing frigid while they rifled through his flat and took somewhat much every piece of electronic equipment that he have .
So far , the government activity has been jolly loaded - lipped about the whole matter , but official did aver that it happened . In a instruction provided to theLas Vegas Review - Journal , Lt . Col . Bryon McGarry confirm the raid , saying only : “ This is an open and ongoing law enforcement investigation between the Las Vegas FBI and Air Force OSI . ”
What did bull want ? It ’s not exactly clear .
Photo: Mario Tama (Getty Images)
Since 1999 , Arnu has runDreamland Resort , a website that covers activity in and around Area 51 , the notoriously tightlipped government facility located in Groom Lake , Nevada . Long the subject of speculation and wonder , the highly classified adroitness is the site of myriad UFO sighting . Coincidentally ( or not ) , it is also the position where the Air Force reportedly tests and develops some of its most sensitive and experimental Modern projects and aircraft ( see : theU-2 undercover agent planein the fifties , for instance ) .
Among other thing , Arnu ’s website feature pictures and write about the Air Force ’s so - called “ black projects”—opaque , classified operations carried out behind a caul of political science secrecy .
This could serve explain why , on Nov. 3 , droves of agents from the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations stormed two Nevada mansion belong to Arnu — one in Las Vegas , and the other in the small town of Rachel , which is locate not far from Area 51 . At the time , Arnu was staying at the hall in Rachel , while his girl was stay at the one in Vegas .
According to Arnu , the raids involved “ 15 - 20 agentive role in full riot cogwheel ” who check down the doors of both houses and caused “ further harm in both homes besides the impoverished front door . ” Arnu claim that the agents sequester his “ laptop computer , phones , backup drive , photographic camera appurtenance , and my poke were seized . ” In ablog poston his website , Arnu describes how it all give out down :
“ This happened without any warning . The doors were separate undetermined and I in Rachel and my girl in our Las Vegas family were delay and treat in the most disrespectful way . My girlfriend was led out into the street barefoot and only in her underwear in full view of our neighbor ; I was lead outside , handcuffed and only in tetraiodothyronine - shirt and sudate in sub - freezing temperature . ”
Despite all the chaos , the reason behind the raid remains unclear . “ Despite my repeated petition for an explanation , I was only told that the search was relate to image posted on my Area 51 web site , ” Arnu writes . According to the web log operator , the search warrant that he was served with was missing pages and the text file did not say what the purpose of the raid was :
There are 40 pages pretermit from the search stock-purchase warrant I received and the casing records are sealed . So , I can not front up the intellect for the hunt and I do not want to ponder . I left several message with the FBI agentive role in thrill but he has not retort any of my calls . At this point I have no choice but to take legal action to try and get my equipment back and to seek reimbursement for the equipment casualty .
In his web log post , Arnu note that the maraud left him without a way to communicate with anybody and that he may have to take “ sound action ” to get his equipment back :
I was very surprised how emphatic the search warrant was executed and how rough we , both unarmed senior citizen , were regale . I have to believe that someone break them uncollectible information about us … With the equipment I lost all my medical records , fiscal and taxation phonograph record , passwords , email and phone contacts , pic etc . Even my phone was taken , leaving me in Rachel with two broken doorway and no way to pass along or call for help .
If a couple of pictures on Arnu ’s website really was the catalyst for this raucous episode , we have to ask … uh , what were the pictures of ? Gizmodo reached out to both Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and the Justice Department . We asked for details about the raids and , just for the sin of it , we also asked about the pictures on Arnu ’s website .
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