Area 51 is famous around the globe for its top-secret operations in the Nevada desert, sparking numerous rumors about alien encounters and secretive government experiments. But while everyone’s heard of Area 51, fewer people know about an even more mysterious place: Dulce Base.
Dulce is a small town in New Mexico, nestled near the Colorado border on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. With fewer than 3,000 residents, it surprisingly boasts the highest number of UFO sightings per capita worldwide. The area’s relationship with strange lights and unidentified objects dates back to its earliest inhabitants.
Many believe there’s an underground facility in the Archuleta Mesa near Dulce, based on numerous testimonies, though hard evidence is scarce. Witnesses include people who claim to have worked in or seen the base from the inside, sometimes after being taken there involuntarily.
One eerie incident began in 1975 when a local rancher discovered one of his cows dead, drained completely of blood, and mutilated in a precise, surgical manner. The scene was bizarre. Officer Gabe Valdez noted tracks resembling a tripod, scorched ground, and an unidentified oily residue. A Sandia National Labs expert found that the dead cow avoided decomposition and scavengers, even after days.
This was just the beginning. Seventeen more animals were mutilated similarly over the following months, all missing organs and lymph nodes, their blood unable to clot after days. People who visited the ranch reported headaches, nausea, and radiation levels were found to be abnormally high. Strange lights in the sky and black helicopters during the day added to the mystery.
Despite mounting evidence and hundreds of animal mutilations reported in nearby areas, the official FBI stance was dismissive, attributing the cases to predator activity.
Another intriguing figure is Paul Bennewitz, a physicist and business owner who, in 1980, befriended Valdez. Bennewitz filmed strange lights and recorded radio transmissions from his home near Kirtland Air Force Base, compiling data on alien encounters. This led him to even delve into the abduction of Myrna Hansen, who believed she and her son were abducted and observed horrific experiments involving aliens.
Bennewitz’s investigations gained attention from the Air Force, and Agent Richard Doty fed into his suspicions. Bennewitz was eventually driven into paranoia by the misinformation, culminating in 1980 when they sought help to unlock Myrna’s allegedly suppressed memories, using hypnosis to reveal grim details of alien procedures and implanted tracking devices.
Phil Schneider, an engineer, publicly declared in 1995 his involvement in building Dulce Base in the 1970s. According to Schneider, during construction in 1979, a battle with aliens resulted in significant casualties, leading to a covert deal between the US military and extraterrestrial beings to avoid war in exchange for technological advancements.
These stories of Dulce Base link to grander themes of secret government operations with aliens, where in exchange for technology, human abductions and experiments took place. Tales of genetic engineering, hybrid beings, and sinister alliances emerge repeatedly, carried by figures like Phil Schneider and John Lear, both infamous for their outspoken views and involvement in the UFO community.
But skepticism remains high. With no concrete proof, much of the Dulce Base narrative relies on personal accounts and alleged evidence that often embraces the surreal and fantastical cornerstones of science fiction.
As we peel back these layers, it’s clear that while hard evidence might be elusive, the blend of local lore, conspiracy theories, and genuine unexplained events create a captivating, if not controversial, tapestry that challenges our understanding of what’s out there. What remains undeniable is our human fascination with the unknown and the lengths we’re willing to go to uncover secrets, hinting there’s always more beneath the surface, even if that surface is the quiet town of Dulce, New Mexico.
