Pentagon's AARO Builds First Formal UAP Partnership in Latin America

In a significant but largely unreported development, the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has established what appears to be the first formal bilateral UAP cooperation agreement with a Latin American nation. According to recently obtained Freedom of Information Act records reported on October 16, 2026, AARO held private meetings with representatives from Uruguay's CRIDOVNI (Commission for the Reception and Investigation of Reports of Unidentified Flying Objects) and has been developing a formal cooperation arrangement that could reshape regional UAP investigation standards. The relationship originated from a private Pentagon meeting on August 4, 2025—one day before AARO's major UAP workshop held outside Washington. AARO Director Jon Kosloski and Chief Technology Officer Josh Reiter personally hosted Uruguayan delegates, providing reciprocal mission briefings, a private Pentagon tour, and lunch at the Pentagon Navy Executive Dining Facility. According to released records, AARO presented a specific agenda outlining what it sought to learn from CRIDOVNI, including the Uruguayan office's investigative processes, analytical tools, procedures for evaluating cases with minimal technical data, notable cases in its database, and its partnerships across South America. CRIDOVNI is uniquely positioned for this partnership. Operating continuously under the Uruguayan Air Force since 1979, it is one of the longest-running government UFO investigation bodies in the world, predating even the Pentagon's own modern UAP task forces by decades. This institutional longevity and experience made CRIDOVNI an attractive model for AARO, which was established only in 2022. The August 2025 workshop included CRIDOVNI representatives twice on its official attendee roster, alongside academic institutions, defense think tanks, and civilian UFO organizations, suggesting Uruguay's elevated status in AARO's international engagement strategy. Uruguayan officials have now publicly confirmed the arrangement's scope. CRIDOVNI Director Colonel Ariel Sánchez recently told Uruguay's newspaper El Observador that his organization and AARO are working toward a formal cooperation agreement that could include joint investigations, information exchange, logistical cooperation, and equipment transfer. Sánchez stated that AARO has already offered hardware and software to enhance CRIDOVNI's investigative capabilities. Notably, a preliminary information-sharing agreement was reportedly established in 2025, which in 2026 moved into active implementation phase, according to statements from the Uruguayan Air Force. Beyond bilateral cooperation, AARO appears to be using Uruguay as a hub for broader hemispheric standardization efforts. Sánchez indicated that AARO intends to host a future workshop in Uruguay involving official UAP investigation offices from across the Americas. This ambitious initiative would aim to standardize scientific investigative methods and data exchange protocols across the region—a significant step toward creating international UAP investigation norms. Such a workshop would represent AARO's most ambitious multilateral engagement on UAP matters to date, potentially involving delegations from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and possibly Brazil. The partnership also coincides with revealed evidence that AARO was pursuing broader international engagement at its August 2025 workshop. Newly declassified documents indicate that an "Australian Government" participant attended the workshop, though the Australian agency and individual identity remain undisclosed by the U.S. Department of War. This suggests AARO's international UAP diplomacy extends beyond Latin America to traditional Five Eyes allies, indicating a coordinated global strategy to engage foreign governments on UAP matters that had not been publicly acknowledged until these October 2026 FOIA releases. The timing of this partnership reveals a shift in U.S. strategy regarding UAP disclosure and international cooperation. Under previous administrations, UAP information remained compartmentalized within U.S. government circles. AARO's approach under the current Trump administration, mandated to declassify and release UAP records, now includes proactive engagement with foreign counterparts to establish shared investigation frameworks. This represents a doctrinal change: rather than maintaining exclusive control over UAP investigations and analysis, the Pentagon is now exporting its investigative methodology and seeking to harmonize international standards. The partnership also raises questions about unresolved cases. CRIDOVNI's database reportedly contains UAP incidents and analysis spanning decades, some of which may have cross-border significance or involve phenomena that U.S. investigators cannot resolve independently. Sánchez's stated goal to "unify investigation criteria" across Latin America suggests that collaborative analysis might yield insights unavailable through isolated national investigations. This could accelerate resolution of regional incidents or establish patterns that demand attention from U.S. authorities. Experts and observers have noted the diplomatic implications. If finalized and operationalized, the AARO-CRIDOVNI agreement would represent the first publicly acknowledged U.S. government-to-foreign-government bilateral agreement specifically focused on UAP investigation. The partnership legitimizes Uruguay's investigative work internationally and positions AARO as a convening power for global UAP investigation standards. Such a template could be replicated with other nations and regional organizations, gradually building a coordinated international UAP investigation framework—a development that would have seemed unlikely just a few years ago but now aligns with the Trump administration's approach to declassification and transparency on UAP matters.