The Why Files: Operation Podcast

Episode 608: Peru's Most Terrifying Mystery – The Face Peelers
Release Date: August 27, 2025
Host: AJ (The Why Files)

Overview

This episode delves into the chilling and ongoing mystery of "The Face Peelers" in the Peruvian Amazon: a series of bizarre, violent attacks on remote villagers supposedly by armored, floating humanoid entities. Host AJ traces the origins of these stories, examines eyewitness reports, considers official investigations and cover-ups, and explores theories ranging from alien encounters to black budget military psyops and criminal organ trafficking. The episode blends deeply researched folklore, eyewitness testimony, and critical skepticism in The Why Files’ signature dynamic style.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Recent Attacks in the Peruvian Amazon (Jul–Sep 2023)

• Incident Overview:
  Villagers report encounters with ~7ft tall, armored beings with glowing yellow eyes, often seen hovering above the ground on disc-shaped platforms or “hoverboards”.
• Violence and Aftermath:
  Victims (including a young girl and several villagers) suffered precise face removal, with their bodies showing surgical cuts and no traditional signs of animal predation.
• Weapons Useless:
  Firearms reportedly had no effect on attackers—“The bullets had no effect… In an instant, they were gone. But they didn’t walk, they hovered six feet off the ground and disappeared into the Amazon jungle.” (B, 00:32)
• Escalation:
  Attacks intensified, with more bodies found and new witnesses providing chilling accounts.

2. Historical Parallels and Operation Prato (1970s)

• Recall of Brazilian Attacks:
  The island of Colares in Brazil was attacked by UFOs (“beams of light”)—over 200 victims, most with inexplicable injuries and some deaths.
• Official Investigation:
  Brazilian Air Force's Operation Prato documented these attacks with photographs, videos, and witness testimony; the events remain “un-debunked.”
• Connection to Modern Events:
  Patterns of attacks across Brazil, Colombia, and Peru link past and present, including the infamous faceless corpse of Juan Cervantes (2013).

3. A Personal Testimony: Talia’s Attack (July 11, 2023)

• Detailed Account:
  15-year-old Talia describes being ambushed while picking fruit, overpowered by two figures using sedatives and cold cream on her face before attempting to cut it off with a laser device.
  • "I heard them say it." (B, 05:19)
  • “Don’t use too much. You’ll ruin the flesh.” – Spanish-speaking attacker to American-accented accomplice (B, 13:09)
  • She screamed, disrupting the procedure and was rescued as attackers escaped straight into the sky.
• Physical Evidence:
  Talia was left with a deep neck wound, no memory lapses, and two perfect circles pressed into the ground—no footprints.
• Significance:
  “Her story finally revealed the invader’s motive—to peel the skin off her face.” (B, 13:36)

4. The Face-Peeler Motif in Local Folklore: Pishtaco

• Ancient Origins:
  Centuries-old Andean legend of the Pishtaco, a pale man who murdered locals to extract fat—considered the essence of life.
• Modern Parallels:
  Not just myth: In 2009, police arrested a real Peruvian gang trafficking human fat for the European black market.
• Animal Mutilations:
  Nearby, livestock found dead with mysterious wounds, echoing animal mutilations reported from New Mexico to Argentina.

5. Official Investigation and the Jetpack Miner Theory

• The Police Explanation:
  Blamed "illegal gold miners using jetpacks" to intimidate villagers and drive them away for mining operations.
• Discrepancies:
  • Commercial jetpacks are loud, have short battery life, and would not match the described behavior (“hovering for hours… complete silence”).
  • Odd footprints left suggest non-human origins; technology and modus operandi do not fit criminal or cartel operations.

6. Wider Context: Missing Persons and Organ Trafficking

• Disturbing Patterns:
  ~12,000 women disappear annually in Peru; theories suggest remote villages are targets for human trafficking or organ harvesting.
• Organ Markets:
  Human organs are a “multi-billion dollar global industry”—matches the Face Peelers’ surgical methodology.
• Limitations:
  Technology level far exceeds what criminals access—“If we’re assuming these attacks are by men and not aliens, who would have such advanced tech?” (B, 18:59)

7. Military Exercises and Black Budget Technology

• Suspicious Timing:
  Major US military exercise “Resolute Sentinel 2023” was based upriver, with Marines present until July 9; attacks began July 11.
• Advanced Gear:
  Suggested: TALOS exoskeleton, electromagnetic propulsion, night vision goggles for “glowing eyes,” directed energy weapons for burns.
• Testimony Supporting Joint Operation:
  • Talia heard two voices: one local, one “gringo” (American accent) (B, 14:39).
• Ideal Environment for Testing:
  Isolated jungle, difficult oversight, and vulnerable population—“The Peruvian Amazon is an ideal test site for secret operations and experimental equipment.” (B, 19:39)

8. Psyops: The Playbook of Psychological Warfare

• CIA Precedents:
  Host recounts how the CIA used folklore monsters in psychological warfare—faked vampire attacks in 1950s Philippines; “Operation Wandering Soul” in Vietnam broadcasted ghostly voices to terrify adversaries.
• Purpose:
  Creating terror as a tool for control or displacement, often with plausible deniability.

9. Private Investigation: Tim Albarino’s Expedition

• Humanitarian Aid and Fact-finding:
  Albarino (American explorer) and Doug Thornton (ex-Marine) brought supplies and tactical training to villagers in October 2023.
• Conclusions:
  • Albarino: Attacks likely the work of organized criminal networks (possibly using advanced or reverse-engineered tech), not aliens.
  • Enduring Fear: “He did prove their fear is real. The official story is a lie… They were organized and technologically superior.” (B, 30:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Attacks:
  “The attackers were 7ft tall, covered in black armor, with large helmets and glowing yellow eyes. In an instant, they were gone. But they didn’t walk, they hovered…” (B, 00:41)

• On Talia’s Ordeal:
  “They put something like a nasal syringe up her nose…Then they smeared cold cream on her face. Terrified…her face started going numb…‘Be careful. Don’t use too much. You’ll ruin the flesh.’” (B, 13:01)

• Connecting Folklore and Modern Atrocity:
  “The technology was new. The method of attack wasn’t… They had a name for it—Pishtaco.” (B, 15:20)

• On the Official Investigation:
  “The conclusion was simple. The attackers were illegal gold miners using jetpacks to scare the villagers off their land… But the story…had holes. Big ones.” (B, 16:59)

• On US Military Presence:
  “While the villagers were under attack, another force was in the jungle. Organized, Armed, American… The timeline isn’t theory, this is a fact.” (B, 19:18)

• On Theories:
  “Seven foot tall hovering beings terrorize a remote village… And in the middle of it all, a secretive US military operation is active just miles away.” (B, 29:37)

• On the Dark Reality:
  “The face peelers aren’t a legend anymore. They’re an industry. And business is booming.” (B, 31:36)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [00:32] – First attack on July 11, 2023; initial eyewitness testimonies
• [03:16] – Historic parallels: Colares attacks, Operation Prato
• [05:19] – Juan Cervantes and earlier face-peeling incidents
• [07:42] – Pablo Verdales’ encounter with laser weapon retaliation
• [09:12] – Deep dive into Talia’s attack, revealing attacker motives
• [13:36] – The legend of Pishtaco—ancient and modern significance
• [16:59] – Police “jetpack miners” theory and why it doesn’t hold up
• [18:59] – Evidence for organ trafficking and discussion of missing persons
• [19:18] – US military and possible secret technology in the region
• [23:00] – Private expedition from Tim Albarino and Doug Thornton
• [29:37] – Dissection of theories: aliens vs. government psyops
• [31:36] – Concluding thoughts: Industry of fear and exploitation

Conclusion

AJ’s investigation provides no easy answers but brings critical scrutiny to the official narrative, aligning historical fear with current events and highlighting the vulnerability of rural populations to predation, whether supernatural, criminal, or clandestinely institutional. The episode closes with a chilling reminder: the Face Peelers are now more than a legend—they represent a thriving, heinous industry where advanced technology meets the darkest elements of human motive.

“I don’t think this is aliens. I’m pretty sure this is being done by men. Evil men.”
—AJ (B, 31:07)