Feds Raid Operator of Popular Area 51 Website
A Nevada resident who runs a comprehensive website about Area 51 said his homes were raided earlier this month by teams from the FBI and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, who seized his computers and other electronic equipment.
Joerg Arnu, who runs DreamlandResort.com, reported on the site on Nov. 7 that “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]t 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.
“Each location saw at least 15-20 agents rummaging through our homes and about 8 vehicles. Needless to say it was a spectacle for curious neighbors, both in Rachel and in Vegas.
“In the process I lost ALL my data, medical files, financial and tax records, passwords, everything.
“On top of that I am stuck with thousands in cost for repairs and replacement of the most essential electronics and expected legal fees.”
FBI agents came down hard on the operator of a popular website devoted to all things Area 51–its programs, lore, and legacy. More than a dozen agents served a no-knock warrant on the Rachel, NV home of Joerg Arnu, owner of https://t.co/CbZNzU6rLW…(more)
— George Knapp (@g_knapp) November 11, 2022
Area 51 is officially known as the Nevada Test and Training Range, which is part of Nellis Air Force Base.
“According to the CIA, the name Area 51 comes from its map designation,” CNN reported. It has also been referred to as “Paradise Ranch,” “Watertown” and “Dreamland.”
The area, which is about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas, “has long been a topic of fascination for conspiracy theorists and paranormal enthusiasts who believe it to be the location where the US government stores and hides alien bodies and UFOs,” according to CNN.
Joerg Arnu, who grew up in Germany, came to the U.S. in 1995 and became a citizen in 2002, according to his IMDB profile. A successful software developer and aviation aficionado, he started the DreamlandResort website in 1999. It eventually became “the largest resource for information about Area 51,” according to IMDB.
“Today Joerg is a 25-year Area 51 research veteran, living in Rachel, NV, just outside the gates of Area 51,” the site reported. “His Dreamland Resort website is all about the military R&D aspect of Area 51, Black Projects and Military Aviation. Over the years Joerg has appeared in numerous Area 51 documentaries and TV shows. He has also contributed material and his expertise to dozens of productions.”
Arnu said he planned to speak with an attorney about the Department of Justice raid.
“To the best of my knowledge I have not broken the law,” he said. “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.”
Arnu said he is concerned “that overzealous government agents may use bogus charges against me to ‘send a message.’
“Putting the truth out there can not hurt.”
He thanked his followers “for listening,” but cautioned, “I will not respond to personal emails or posts in this matter.”
The U.S. Sun reported it has contacted the FBI’s Las Vegas office for comment regarding the raid.
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