9 round red objects spotted over Laredo, TX in 1971

I retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1971 and started working part-time for the Kroger grocery chain in Laredo, Tx. On approximately August 17, 1971, I was attending a Union meeting at a local motel and was asked by the Union rep. if I and another worker would go across the river to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and pick up a couple of bottles of liqour for the group. My friend and I left, crossed the border and approached a place where he said we could get the best prices. As we were pulling up to park, I noticed people on the street (women and children) looking up at the sky. When we alit from the car we both looked toward the West where everyone was looking and was startled to see 4 large round red circles hovering just above the horizon. It was approximately 18:30 hours and the sun was just starting to set, so there was still plenty of daylight. As we watched, I started looking in other directions and discovered another 5 of the same objects coming from the North (from the direction of Laredo, TX). They approached the other 4 slowly and then grouped together and then started to get smaller. They kept getting smaller until they completely diappeared. I don't know if they were moving away from us or if they just got smaller until they disappeared. Laredo Air Force Base was still there at the time and I thought of calling the base when we returned to Laredo, but then decided not to because I figured the lines would be jammed with calls. To my astonishment the next day, not a single thing appeared in the local newspaper nor the Mexican newspapers.  No radio or TV reports either. My buddy and I just kept our mouths shut. I found all that very strange. I am and will always be a firm believer in UFO's. And I believe, someday, everyone else will, too.
Date may be approximate.  PD