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Area 51 blogger’s home raided by federal investigators

The owner of a popular Area 51 blog reportedly had his home raided by the federal government over the weekend, with agents seizing many of his belongings for an investigation he says he does not know the details of.

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Area 51 blogger's home raided by federal investigators | Washington Examiner <img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=4400705&fmt=gif"> News White House Senate House Campaigns Business Justice Crime Sunday Talk Shows Washington Secrets Policy Defense & National Security Energy & Environment Education Immigration Finance & Economy Healthcare Foreign Policy Technology Infrastructure Space Think Tanks Opinion Columnists Editorials Beltway Confidential Videos Latest Clips The Debrief Reporter's Notebook Magazine Latest Edition All Magazine Editions Digital Reader Member Login Member Access Restoring America Newsletters Search Member Log InLog In | Subscribe Now Tuesday, January 03, 2023 News White House Senate House Campaigns Business Justice Crime Sunday Talk Shows Washington Secrets Policy Defense & National Security Energy & Environment Education Immigration Finance & Economy Healthcare Foreign Policy Technology Infrastructure Space Think Tanks Opinion Columnists Editorials Beltway Confidential Videos Latest Clips The Debrief Reporter's Notebook Magazine Latest Edition All Magazine Editions Digital Reader Member Login Member Access Restoring America Newsletters WATCH LIVE | Kevin McCarthy's fate to be decided as House sessions gets underway Close FBI Area 51 blogger's home raided by federal investigators by Cami Mondeaux, Breaking News Reporter | November 21, 2022 11:51 AM Opinion House holdouts should take the win and support McCarthy By: Conn Carroll California's New Year's resolution: Let transgender youth suffer irreversible harm By: Ian Haworth Trump abandoned pro-lifers. 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WATCH: Washington Examiner editor v. editor political trivia01:57Next Video18. YEAR IN REVIEW: Big court cases to be decided in 202301:18Next Video19. YEAR IN REVIEW: Top 10 Democratic presidential candidates ranked01:59Next Video20. YEAR IN REVIEW: Flying on Air Force One for a Biden surprise visit01:55Next Video21. Zelensky, Biden press conference: Ukrainian leader speaks live at White House during...  00:00/01:44 LIVE The owner of a popular Area 51 blog reportedly had his home raided by the federal government over the weekend, with agents seizing many of his belongings for an investigation he says he does not know the details of. Joerg Arnu, who runs the Dreamland Resort website that documents the goings-on of the highly classified Air Force facility, said agents with the FBI and the Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations raided two of his homes and inflicted “significant damage” to both of them. It’s not clear what the reason for the raid was, with agents only telling Arnu it was related to pictures that were posted on his website, he said. UFO HUNTERS: NASA LAUNCHES STUDY OF ‘UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA’ “I was never given a reason for the raid, nor have I been charged with a crime,” Arnu wrote on his website. “I believe the reason for the raid was primarily to send a message to fellow Area 51 researchers and to discourage others from looking too deep into the secrets of Area 51.” Both homes — one located in Las Vegas and the other located in Rachel, Nevada, just outside Area 51 — were reportedly raided by 15-20 agents as Arnu and his girlfriend were detained, according to the blogger. The agents seized several of Arnu’s belongings, including his laptops, phones, backup drives, camera gear, and a drone, equaling $20,000 in losses, he said. Photos of the incident posted online also show damage to the house doors, with Arnu referencing further damage that was not pictured. “With the equipment I lost all my medical records, financial and tax records, passwords, email and phone contacts, photos etc,” Arnu wrote. “Even my phone was taken, leaving me ... with two broken doors and no way to communicate or call for help.” Arnu suggested he is mulling legal action, arguing the search was “executed with completely unnecessary force by overzealous government agents, was meant as a message to silence the Area 51 research community.” “There are 40 pages missing from the search warrant I received, and the case records are sealed,” Arnu said. “So, I cannot look up the reason for the search and I do not want to speculate. I left several messages with the FBI agent in charge but he has not returned any of my calls. At this point I have no choice but to take legal action to try and get my equipment back and to seek reimbursement for the damage.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Arnu created the Dreamland Resort website in 1999 to post drone photos and satellite images of the base, touting the page as the most comprehensive source on Area 51. The website also features discussion forums and articles detailing top-secret projects reportedly being developed by the Air Force. Lt. Col. Bryon McGarry, a spokesman for the Nellis Air Force Base, confirmed to Fox News that an investigation has been opened into Arnu but declined to provide further details. The Washington Examiner contacted the FBI and the Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for comment but did not receive responses. 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