Large search launched after retired US general vanishes from Albuquerque

A retired US Air Force general who once commanded a base long linked to UFO rumours has been missing for nearly two weeks, prompting a large-scale search effort in New Mexico.

According to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, 68-year-old retired Major General William Neil McCasland disappeared after leaving his home in Albuquerque at about 11 a.m. on February 27. He has not been heard from since, and his mobile phone was left at home, CNN reports.

Search operations involve more than 600 residents from the surrounding neighbourhood, as well as agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and personnel from Kirtland Air Force Base. Authorities are also deploying drones, helicopters, mounted search teams and trained dogs.

McCasland is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Harvard Kennedy School. During his career, he served as chief engineer of the US Department of Defence’s Global Positioning System program, director of systems programs at the Space Laser Projects Office, and director of special programs at the Pentagon.

He also led the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base—a facility frequently associated in popular lore with alleged debris from the Roswell Incident.

After retiring from the military, McCasland worked with To The Stars, Inc., an organisation focused on studying unidentified aerial phenomena.

His disappearance occurred only days after Donald Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social that he had instructed the Pentagon and other federal agencies to release government documents related to extraterrestrial life and UFOs.

Family members and colleagues say McCasland’s connections with the UFO research community are unrelated to his disappearance. His wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, said he does not suffer from dementia and was not confused or disoriented.

Authorities say there is currently no evidence of foul play, but investigators are examining all possible scenarios. Officials are asking residents to share any information about McCasland’s whereabouts through a dedicated webpage operated by the sheriff’s office.

By Tamilla Hasanova