The Gulf Coast city of Tampico, long a wellspring of legends and anomalous sightings, has recently marked a watershed moment for Mexican ufology: the inauguration of the country’s first official UFO reporting center.
| For seasoned observers and newcomers alike, the opening of this facility—known as the Center for UFO Reports of Mexico (CROM)—not only legitimizes the rich tapestry of stories associated with Tampico but also signals a larger shift in how unidentified aerial phenomena are approached in Mexico. |
By The
UFO Chronicles 9-28-2025 |
Tampico’s relationship with the extraordinary began well before the modern UFO era. Over the decades, local folklore has come to embrace the unknown rather than shrink from it. This attitude is best exemplified by the tale of “Amupac,” an underwater alien base supposedly located just off Miramar Beach, regarded by many as the cause of the city’s historic immunity to hurricane strikes since 1966. Where other Gulf cities have seen devastation, Tampico’s perceived “alien shield” has inspired stories, tourism campaigns, and murals depicting cosmic visitors.
The alien lore isn’t simply a curious tourist trap—it’s also a mode of collective resilience. As Ambika Subra, a chronicler of Tampico’s unique embrace, explains, the city’s response to invasion and uncertainty has evolved over time, transforming the extraterrestrial “outsider” from a symbol of fear or conquest into one of protection and hope. Residents, having faced colonial conflict and cartel violence in living memory, frame their belief in Amupac, “an underwater alien base 1.3 kilometers off Miramar Beach, shielding the city from natural disaster.” A faith in unseen guardians “gives people meaning, survival, and identity” through uncertain times.
The idea of an official reporting center was born in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, as interest in authenticated UFO research rose worldwide. Tampico, already home to the OVNI Scientific Investigation Association of Tamaulipas (AICOT), became the natural locus. The center aims to collect and analyze sightings, document witness testimony, and submit evidence—including photographs and videos—for thorough investigation. CROM represents a deliberate move away from sensationalism, emphasizing documentary and scientific rigor and joining Tampico’s grassroots investigation efforts with international developments in UAP research.
Unlike chat forums or anecdotal recitations, the Tampico UFO Center features digital platforms for case submission, expert analysis, and cross-referencing with military and scientific records. Pilots and even members of the US military who have given sworn testimony about anomalous aerial encounters are included in the documentation. Sightings off Miramar Beach and in the broader “UFO corridor” of southern Tamaulipas—already the focus of Netflix and National Geographic documentaries—are methodically cataloged.
Witnesses can bring material directly, speak with trained interviewers, or submit details online. The goal: to provide certainty, context, and expert review. The database is open to academic scrutiny, and the center welcomes contributions from local, national, and even foreign experts. CROM thus acts not merely as a registry, but as a bridge between local experience and international ufological discourse.
“The center isn’t just for believers,” emphasizes Nembra Carmen Jiménez, state tourism director and AICOT member. “We’re interested in everyone—children, elders, skeptics. This is about recognizing a reality that exists in Tampico”. The annual “El Día OVNI Tamaulipas,” once an unofficial joke, now enjoys government support and draws investigators from across Mexico. The community’s openness has also drawn journalists, documentary crews, and interactive tourism centered on paranormal phenomena.
Even as meteorologists, historians, and skeptics offer terrestrial explanations for the city’s hurricane avoidance—and for the prevalence of strange lights and radar anomalies over local oil rigs—many locals remain steadfast in their conviction. For them, the mythology is not an obstacle to scientific inquiry, but rather a motivator for institutional engagement.
Netflix’s upcoming documentary will further shine a spotlight on the confluence of folklore, scientific investigation, and community identity. Tampico’s beaches host not only alien-statue parades and merchandise stalls, but also annual conferences and sessions dedicated to reflection and meditation, as residents seek deeper meaning in their connection to the unknown.
Far from dismissing or sensationalizing UFO culture, Tampico’s new reporting center melds myth with method. It stands as an invitation for others—scientists, locals, tourists, and curiosity-seekers alike—to contribute their encounters, examine evidence, and join in critical reflection.
Whether the tales of Amupac hold empirical truth or serve as a repository of communal hope, Tampico has succeeded in rewriting the script for how Mexican society engages the stranger, the unexplained, and the cosmic unknown. The first UFO reporting center in Mexico is thus much more than a building—it is a signpost for how myth can be harnessed as resilience, and how curiosity can foster new forms of understanding.
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