Some press reports suggest that the relevant kids admitted that this was a hoax. The full story is a bit more complicated...
I'll cut and paste below some details from my database of infamous UFO videos. (Internos - the relevant entry is at "Annex 06" of my video
database).
This video, captured using a mobile phone, supposedly features an alien hiding behind a lamp post. It was purportedly filmed on 20 March 2005 in
Fraccionamiento del Parque in eastern Merida, Yucatan (one of the states of Mexico). The individuals within the video include Jose Alonso Herrera and
David Espada.
Daniel Barquet, a reporter for “Milenio” (see milenio.com), wrote an article dated 17 January 2006 which reported that the video was a hoax. The
article (helpfully translated into English by Scott Corrales of the Institute of Hispanic Ufology) is at:
www.virtuallystrange.net...
His article included the following:
“Authors of the ‘jape’ disclosed that they did it merely to ‘to mock’ [Mexican ufologist Jaime Maussan] and try to ‘get some dough’ out
of him. The prank, which ‘even passed the analysis with special equipment’, was made with a mask that one of the participants purchased during
last year's carnival in Yucatan's capital city.”
However, the sources of the relevant information are not clear from the face of the article. The relevant remarks in quotation marks are not
attributed to any of the alleged hoaxers. Instead, the comments appear to have come from Sergio Valdez Diaz, a member of the “Centro de
Investigacion de Fenomenos Paranormales” (also of "Misterios de Merida" magazine), who claimed that “all the youths involved were aware of the
deception but decided to maintain it, partly because they hoped to obtain money through their hoax.".
The following day, a further article by Daniel Barquet for “Milenio”, included various comments attributed to Jaime Maussan and one of the youths
in the video (Jose Alonso Herrera). Herrera denied that the video was a fake. He also said that at no time did they ask for money in exchange for the
images. He commented “The papers said that our sister had a mask and who knows what else. But haven't made any statements. The problem is that the
papers here made them up on their own.” This second article has also been translated into English by Scott Corrales, at:
www.virtuallystrange.net...
A slightly bizarre email by Santiago Yturria (apparently based in part of the second “Milenio” article) states that “Sergio Valdez Diaz was
accused along with Jorge Moreno of attempting to bribe some children from the neighborhood offering 1,000 pesos to the one that agreed to say that he
was disguised as an alien the night of the incident” and that “Some researchers from Merida located one of these children and got his statement on
tape as evidence in a formal denunciation of Sergio Valdez and Jorge Moreno for corruption of minors. They are expected to be arrested sometime this
weekend”. [!!] See:
www.virtuallystrange.net...
Santiagio Yturria has written a more detailed article about the video on the Rense.com website. That article contends that “Both David Espada and
Jose Herrera are well known boys in their neighborhood and school. They are honest and incapable of inventing such a story or perpetrating a hoax.”
He concludes that “This is certainly a unique case of a rare nature not common in Ufology...a bizarre and fascinating story with important elements
and solid evidence. For this research team, the case represents a major challenge.” See:
www.rense.com...
Researcher Greg Boone has commented on the video on UFO Updates at:
www.virtuallystrange.net...
Tracing the various articles back, there are many comments on a blog which (??first) put image on the Internet on 17 December 2005:
www.lacoctelera.com...
The video has since been discussed on numerous UFO forums (on many of those forums, links to the video has been posted on more than occasion).
For example, on abovetopsecret.com, relevant discussion threads include the following:
“Yet Another Mexico Vid”:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
“Alien Abduction caught on Camera Phone!!”:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
“Alleged abduction caught with cell phone???”:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
“alien abduction film hoaxed?”:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
“Alien abduction attempt *Video*”
www.abovetopsecret.com...
“Alien in Mexico?”
www.abovetopsecret.com...
Discussions on the alien-ufos.com forum include:
“Bizarre Alien Encounter”
www.alien-ufos.com...
“Alien filmed on cell phone (Merida/Mexico)”
www.alien-ufos.com...
“Real alien caught on tape”
www.alien-ufos.com...
"What do you make of it?"
www.alien-ufos.com...
I'll embed the video below:
Kind Regards,
Isaac
