Elizondo spent the majority of his accomplished military career as a senior Intelligence Officer, hunting drug traffickers, terrorists, and spies around the world. In 2008, he was asked to be part of the Pentagon's secretive Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), and in 2010 he assumed the position as its Director. In that capacity, Elizondo led the U.S Government's effort to study UFOs around the world. In 2017, he resigned from his position in protest of government secrecy regarding UFOs. Since then, he has led the global disclosure effort. As a civilian with high-level national security clearances, Elizondo is widely viewed as the most credible expert in the world regarding UFOs.