Paul Bennewitz

Paul Bennewitz (1927-2003), an Albuquerque businessman and electrical physicist, became a pivotal figure in UFO research during the late 1970s. Joining Arizona's Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, he investigated cattle mutilations linked to UFOs, attending a 1979 public meeting where he met officer Gabe Valdez. Bennewitz filmed strange lights and intercepted radio signals over Kirtland Air Force Base, convinced they came from alien craft near the Manzano Nuclear Storage Facility. He claimed discovery of the Dulce Base, a secret underground alien-human facility in New Mexico, involving electromagnetic mind control and extraterrestrial colonization plots.

His alerts to media, senators, and even President Reagan drew Air Force attention. Unbeknownst to him, researcher Bill Moore, tied to intelligence agents, monitored him as part of a disinformation campaign to discredit his findings and protect classified projects. This psychological operation exacerbated Bennewitz's paranoia, leading to his mental breakdown and institutionalization, fueling enduring UFO myths like Dulce.