Everything from computers to phones and photos were reportedly seized in a joint raid by the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations on the residences of a popular webmaster and ‘UFO’ researcher linked to the notorious Area 51.
Joerg Arnu, whose site, dreamlandresort.com, claims to offer an in-depth look at the conspiracy theories linked to extraterrestrial life, or Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) surrounding the US Air Force military installation, was supposedly held at gunpoint by a team of officers at his Las Vegas home. His home in Rachel was similarly raided, according to reports.
The United States Air Force (USAF) facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range, commonly known as Area 51, has an aura of mystery due to its reputation as purportedly a place used for conducting alien-related probes. Further fascination with the location was fueled amid growing reports of UFO sightings in its vicinity.
Joerg Arnu was quoted as previously writing on his website’s message board:
“It has been brought to my attention that there is concern about some of the material on this site. I do not believe that collecting or publishing that material is against the law. However, out of an abundance of caution I have removed some material until this is sorted out.”
The follow-up post lent insight into the reported raids:
“Last Thursday very early in the morning my homes in Rachel and in Vegas were searched by a combined team of FBI and AF OSI. I will spare you the details but it got quite tense and humiliating for me in Rachel and for my girlfriend in Vegas. All my laptops, phones, memory sticks, cameras, drone and other items were seized. When it was all over I was left in Rachel with two broken doors, broken furniture inside the house and zero means to communicate. Our Vegas home fared a little better, with only a broken front door and torn down blinds,” he stated.
The webmaster deplored the loss of data, from medical files to tax records and passwords.
“To the best of my knowledge I have not broken the law. The search warrants are not very specific but aerial photos of Area 51 and other installations came up repeatedly. So I have taken those down for now to defuse the situation,” he was reported as writing.
Joerg Arnu speculated that the raid was about “suppressing information,” and “sending a message to the Area 51 community.”
“Question is, how far will they go?” queried the UFO researcher.