A congressional investigation into a series of missing scientists took a more serious turn this week after a high-ranking official with deep expertise in military aerospace programs disappeared. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., revealed that his team was already planning to interview retired Air Force Gen. William Neil McCasland about a separate investigation when the former official vanished from his Albuquerque home in February.
According to Fox News, McCasland, often called the “UFO general” because of his background in classified research, left behind his phone, keys, prescription glasses, wallet, and a .38-caliber revolver, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Burlison said he was taken aback by the circumstances, saying, “He was on our list to talk to, and he disappeared, so that kind of piqued our interest.”
Since 2022, at least 11 people working in nuclear or rocket technology have either died or gone missing under suspicious circumstances. These professionals were often connected to institutions like NASA, MIT, Caltech, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Kansas City National Security Campus, and many held roles tied to next-generation space defense technologies being developed by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
The pattern of missing scientists is starting to look like a serious national security concern
The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Burlison, who chairs the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, officially launched a formal investigation on Monday.
The committee sent letters to FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, requesting staff-level briefings by April 27. Trump has previously weighed in on UAP-related matters, and his comments on UFO files drew significant attention from those following government transparency efforts.
Comer stated, “Once you see the facts, it would suggest that something sinister could be happening and it would be a national security concern,” adding that it is very unlikely to be a coincidence. Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker has suggested the patterns are consistent with tactics used by foreign adversaries, possibly through espionage, abduction, or blackmailing of personnel with access to sensitive scientific information.
The people involved held highly specialized roles. Aerojet Rocketdyne and JPL engineer Monica Reza, who disappeared in 2025, worked closely with McCasland on an Air Force-funded research program in the early 2000s, and her work on advanced materials for reusable space vehicles is considered a major contribution to the field.
According to Fortune, other cases include JPL principal scientist Frank Maiwald, who died in 2024, and government contractor Steven Garcia, who vanished from Albuquerque in 2025 after surveillance footage showed him leaving his home on foot with a handgun. This case is part of a broader pattern, scientists with nuclear and UFO clearances who vanished , that Trump himself has described as “pretty serious stuff.”
The White House has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on April 17 that the administration is actively working with the FBI and all relevant agencies to review these cases together. President Trump also addressed the matter, telling reporters that while he hopes it is a coincidence, the people involved were very important and the government is treating it seriously.
NASA remains cautious for now. A spokeswoman for the agency wrote on social media that nothing related to NASA currently points to a national security threat, though the agency is cooperating with others.
The FBI has confirmed it is formally looking for connections between the cases, focusing on whether the victims’ access to classified information or possible foreign involvement played a role.
Burlison remains skeptical about the official explanations, especially given how many of these people left their homes without basic necessities. “How many people walk out their front door without their phone, their wallet, their keys, or anything?”
Burlison asked, emphasizing that the situation is “certainly suspicious” and that the committee is determined to find out if foul play is involved. As the April 27 deadline for agency briefings approaches, more information is expected to surface.
Published: Apr 22, 2026 11:45 am