UFO Witness Rips Hearing With Alleged Alien Bodies: 'Unsubstantiated Stunt'

Former U.S. Navy pilot Ryan Graves condemned the alleged alien remains presented before the Mexican Congress as a "huge step backwards" in the discussions surrounding unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

Graves appeared before lawmakers on Tuesday nearly two months after he was joined by two other U.S. military veterans for a U.S. House congressional hearing on the Pentagon's knowledge of UFOs.

Tuesday's hearing in Mexico City, however, started off with a presentation by Mexican journalist and self-proclaimed ufologist Jaime Maussan, who presented two specimens in glass containers that he claimed to be remains of "non-human" beings discovered in Cusco, Peru.

The so-called alien mummies looked much like a classic Hollywood depiction of extraterrestrial life, with large heads, a short body and three fingers on each hand. Similar reports of alien-like corpses have been made by Maussan and other UFO enthusiasts in the past, but have been dismissed by scientists as either ancient Peruvian remains or mummies that had been manipulated to look a certain way.

In a statement published to X, formerly Twitter, Graves, executive director of Americans for Safe Aerospace (ASA), said that he agreed to testify before the Mexican Congress in hopes of keeping "up the momentum of government interest in pilot experiences with [unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)]." The military often refers to UFOs as UAP.

"Unfortunately, yesterday's demonstration was a huge step backwards for this issue," Graves added.

"My testimony centered on sharing my experience and the [unidentified aerial phenomena] reports I hear from commercial and military aircrew through ASA's witness program," read the statement. "I will continue to raise awareness of UAP as an urgent matter of aerospace safety, national security, and science, but I am deeply disappointed by this unsubstantiated stunt."

After his testimony before the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, Graves told Newsweek he felt confident that House lawmakers would continue to push for more transparency on the issue of UAP.

All three witnesses at the hearing in Washington, D.C., in July spoke about their encounters with UAP while working in the armed services and described the stigma that military members face when reporting such experiences.

Graves, alongside former U.S. intelligence officer David Grusch, also warned about potential retaliatory measures against individuals who come forward.

Since the hearing, the Department of Defense has launched a new website intended to provide the American public with all UAP-related work and findings that have been declassified. The site will also eventually offer a portal for U.S. government and military employees to report activity related to UAP for historical record.

Newsweek reached out to Graves via email for additional comment Wednesday night.