The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into a series of suspicious disappearances and deaths among scientists who have worked on cutting-edge UFO and nuclear technologies over the past few years. The incidents are particularly alarming given the sensitive nature of the research these individuals conducted.
A top House Oversight Committee Republican recently stated that there is “a high possibility” something sinister is occurring, emphasizing that Congress is deeply concerned about the issue and it constitutes a national security threat. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed his agency is collaborating with the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and state and local law enforcement to uncover answers. The probe, which began last week, focuses on potential connections to classified information access or foreign involvement.
President Donald Trump described the incidents as “pretty serious stuff,” noting that some individuals were “very important people” now under review by authorities. The cases involve 11 high-profile individuals, with most affiliated through their work with the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Department of Defense. Among them is William Neil McCasland, a retired Air Force major general who vanished from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 27.
McCasland had overseen classified space weapons programs and led research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The base has long been rumored to contain extraterrestrial debris from a UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico. He disappeared without his phone or glasses while his firearm went with him. Local authorities conducted an extensive search that included drone operations, helicopter support, ground searches with Search and Rescue teams, and K-9 units.
The first missing-persons alert suggested McCasland might have suffered from a neurological condition such as Alzheimer’s and walked off in confusion. However, his wife dismissed this theory, stating he was “not confused and disoriented.” She noted that McCasland had access to highly classified programs but did not believe he was targeted for outdated secrets because he retired 13 years ago. His wife also revealed he worked with Tom DeLonge as a free consultant before reducing contact after emails from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta were hacked. In her social media post, she added: “Though at this point with absolutely no sign of him, maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed him up to the mothership.”
Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) claimed McCasland was “the key figure in America’s secret research into UFO and extraterrestrial technology before his retirement” and described him as “the guy that had a lot of nuclear secrets.” Burchett also stated he had been briefed by “just about every alphabet agency there is,” adding, “if they would release the things that I’ve seen, you would stay up at night worrying about this stuff.”
Longtime UFO reporter Ross Coulthart noted the unusual circumstances: McCasland’s disappearance without his glasses and his firearm being taken suggest he did not leave voluntarily. He questioned why no security cameras captured McCasland leaving his home, speculating a kidnapping might have occurred.
Another missing scientist is Monica Jacinto Reza, an aerospace rocket scientist who vanished June 22, 2025, while hiking in the Angeles National Forest. She disappeared suddenly and was last seen about 30 feet behind her companion, smiling and waving.
Other cases include astrophysicist Carl Grillmair shot on February 16, 2024; nuclear fusion researcher Nuno Loureiro assassinated at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, on December 15, 2025; NASA scientists Michael David Hicks and Frank Maiwald who died mysteriously (Hicks in 2023, Maiwald in 2024); government contractor Steve Garcia along with Melissa Casias and Anthony Chavez, all disappearing from Los Alamos National Laboratory ties between May and August 2025; and pharmaceutical researcher Jason Thomas found dead in a lake months after vanishing in December 2025.
Dr. Amy Eskridge, who claimed to have developed anti-gravity technology, reportedly shot herself in June 2022. She described receiving threats of violence from individuals who broke into her apartment and ransacked her belongings. Eskridge stated she moved in with her parents due to the harassment.
The FBI’s investigation is examining whether these incidents are connected to classified access, foreign actors, or other factors. Multiple theories exist, including foreign operations, witness protection programs for federal investigations into UFO-related criminal organizations, or private contractors eliminating individuals to protect sensitive technology.