Type: Military Witness Observation
Source: La Joya Air Base personnel
According to Santa María's later testimony, approximately 1,800 military and civilian personnel were present at La Joya Air Base during the initial sighting. Four pilots reportedly stood outside observing the object before the interception order was given. Later accounts state that personnel on the ground continued observing the aerial pursuit. The existence and identities of the broader group of observers have not been independently documented in publicly available witness statements, so this evidence should be described as a reported mass observation rather than as 1,800 independently verified testimonies.