The Puchetta UFO Encounter: Argentina's Most Chilling Police Disappearance
In the quiet evening of March 2, 2006, a routine patrol turned into one of Argentina's most baffling UFO encounters. Provincial Police Corporal Sergio Puscetta was monitoring a rural area near General Pico when he spotted an unusual red light in the sky. This eight-year police veteran pulled over his motorcycle to investigate, making a quick call to fellow officers before his communication mysteriously cut off.
When colleagues arrived minutes later, they found a disturbing scene: Puscetta's motorcycle lying on its side, his weapon disassembled, and his equipment scattered across the ground—but no sign of the officer himself. The disappearance launched an extensive search operation that ended nearly 24 hours later when a farmer discovered Puscetta sitting in a fetal position on a dirt road 20 kilometers from where he had vanished. Medical examinations showed no physical injuries, but the officer's account of glowing-eyed beings who communicated telepathically would raise questions that persist to this day.
Key Takeaways
Police Corporal Sergio Puscetta disappeared for 24 hours after investigating a strange light while on patrol in Argentina in 2006.
Following his reappearance, Puscetta described an encounter with telepathic beings who could access his memories and appeared to float above the ground.
Prior to his disappearance, Puscetta had reported and recorded unusual aerial phenomena in the same area, suggesting an ongoing presence.
The Mystery of Sergio Puschetta's Vanishing
Initial Police Contact and Strange Encounter
In March 2006, Corporal Sergio Puschetta, an eight-year veteran of the Provincial Police in General Pico, Argentina, experienced a bizarre incident that remains unexplained. While on motorcycle patrol near a cornfield in a high mountain pass area on March 2nd at approximately 9:20 PM, Puschetta observed an unusual light in the night sky. He immediately pulled over and contacted fellow officers by cell phone to report his location and intention to investigate what he described as a "strange situation." His communication abruptly terminated mid-conversation.
Within minutes, responding officers arrived at the scene only to find a perplexing situation. Puschetta had disappeared without explanation. The circumstances immediately prompted concern among his colleagues, who recognized that something highly unusual had occurred.
Abandoned Equipment and Personal Effects
The responding officers discovered Puschetta's motorcycle lying on its side with several personal items scattered nearby. His service weapon had been completely disassembled, with the parts spread across the ground. His helmet, walkie-talkie, and cellphone were also found abandoned at the scene.
The condition of his equipment raised immediate alarm:
Item Condition When Found Motorcycle Lying sideways on the ground Service weapon Completely disassembled Walkie-talkie Battery and antenna removed Cellphone Functional but memory wiped except for last call
Most peculiarly, Puschetta's phone had been cleared of all stored information and contacts, with only the record of his final call remaining. This call had been manually dialed rather than selected from stored contacts, suggesting the memory had been erased before his attempted communication.
The Intensive Search Operation
Police officials promptly organized a large-scale search operation that began the following morning. Numerous officers and civilian volunteers combed the entire mountain area where Puschetta had vanished. The search continued throughout the day with no immediate results.
Approximately 24 hours after his disappearance, at around 4:30 PM, a breakthrough occurred. A local farmer driving between the towns of Trili and Kumakuma spotted Puschetta sitting alongside a dirt road in a fetal position. This location was roughly 20 kilometers from where his motorcycle and equipment had been discovered.
The farmer noted that Puschetta appeared to be in a state of nervous shock, sitting with his arms wrapped around his bent legs and his head tucked between his chest and knees. Police quickly arrived at the scene, where Puschetta began describing an encounter with strange beings possessing glowing red eyes that seemingly communicated with him telepathically. His recollection became unclear after attempting to escape these entities.
Medical personnel transported Puschetta to Centennial Regional Hospital where Dr. Covella examined him. While physically normal and properly hydrated, Puschetta complained of fatigue, headaches, and itchy hands. He remained under psychiatric care for five days before being released to his home, where he lived with his pregnant wife and in-laws.
Reemergence and First Account
Found by Rural Resident
On March 3rd, 2006, approximately 20 kilometers from where Officer Sergio Puscetta's motorcycle and personal items were discovered, a farmer traveling between Trili and Kumakuma noticed a man sitting by the side of a dirt road. The man was crouched in a fetal position with his arms wrapped around his bent legs and his head tucked between his chest and knees. Upon approaching, the farmer observed that the individual appeared to be in a state of extreme distress.
The farmer promptly contacted authorities, who quickly identified the man as Puscetta, the officer who had vanished nearly 24 hours earlier. Puscetta had disappeared while investigating an unusual light during his patrol in a high mountain pass area near General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina. His reappearance in this remote location, far from his last known position, immediately raised questions among his colleagues.
Psychological Condition Assessment
When officers arrived at the scene, Puscetta began describing an encounter with unusual beings possessing glowing red eyes that seemingly communicated telepathically with him. His recollection became unclear after attempting to escape these entities, and he expressed confusion about how he had ended up on the remote road so far from his original location.
Medical professionals at Centennial Regional Hospital conducted various examinations under Dr. Covella's supervision. Key observations of Puscetta's condition included:
Physical state: Generally normal and properly hydrated
Mental state: Confused, disoriented, and extremely fatigued
Symptoms:
Persistent headaches
Itchy hands
Strong desire to sleep
Due to his lingering confusion, Puscetta was placed under psychiatric care for five days before being released to return home to his pregnant wife and in-laws. On March 7th, he agreed to an interview with the press and ufologist Cookie Mario, during which he shared more details about his experience and revealed that he had previously observed and even recorded unusual aerial phenomena in the same area during patrols in early February.
Medical Evaluation and Clinical Aftermath
Hospital Assessment at Centennial
Upon discovery by a local farmer, Sergio Puscetta was transported to Centennial Regional Hospital in a state of evident distress. Dr. Covella conducted a comprehensive physical examination of the officer. Despite his ordeal, Puscetta's physical condition appeared normal, with proper hydration levels maintained. The medical team noted his extreme fatigue, as the officer repeatedly expressed a desire to sleep following his mysterious 24-hour disappearance.
Initial examinations revealed no physical injuries or trauma, though Puscetta complained of persistent headaches and an unusual itching sensation in his hands. These symptoms were carefully documented by the medical staff as they worked to understand his condition.
Psychological Treatment and Discharge
Due to his ongoing confusion and disoriented mental state, Puscetta was placed under psychiatric observation following his physical assessment. Mental health professionals monitored his condition closely over a five-day period. During this time, they evaluated his cognitive functions and emotional stability while treating his reported symptoms.
On March 7, 2006, medical staff determined Puscetta had recovered sufficiently to be discharged from psychiatric care. He returned to his home where his pregnant wife and in-laws awaited him. That same day, he participated in a press interview and spoke with ufologist Cookie Mario, who had traveled to General Pico specifically to investigate the incident site. Puscetta appeared coherent enough to recount his experience in detail during this hour-long discussion with reporters.
Prior to the strange encounter, Puscetta had reportedly shared with fellow officers his observations of unusual phenomena during night patrols, including strange illuminations in the sky near the location of his eventual disappearance. This history of sightings added context to his claims following the March 2nd incident.
Media Coverage
Press Interactions
On March 7, 2006, Corporal Sergio Puscetta agreed to a one-hour press interview where he provided details about his strange experience. During this session, he revealed that he had previously confided to fellow officers about witnessing unusual phenomena while on patrol, including strange illuminations in the sky near the same location in early February. Puscetta had actually recorded one of these unusual lights and showed the footage to reporters. The recording appeared to display a round light rotating on its axis.
In a curious development, La Pampa Minister Juan Carlos Tierno requested a copy of Puscetta's video recording specifically on the night the officer disappeared—not after the press screening, but during the hours when search efforts were still underway. This timing raised questions among those following the case.
UFO Expert Assessment
A UFO specialist named Cookie Mario traveled to General Pico specifically to investigate the incident site. The expert examined the location where Puscetta had reported his encounter with the strange lights and beings. This professional assessment added another layer of scrutiny to the officer's claims about his experience in the cornfield.
Following his release from the hospital after five days of care, Puscetta remained under close observation by those interested in understanding what might have occurred during his missing hours. The officer's detailed recollections of humanoid creatures with red eyes that communicated telepathically drew significant attention from both law enforcement colleagues and those specializing in unexplained phenomena.
Previous Encounters and Unusual Evidence
The events of March 2006 weren't isolated incidents. A pattern of strange occurrences had been developing in the La Pampa region, with several notable cases documented before Corporal Puscetta's disappearance.
Documented Unexplained Phenomena
In early February 2006, Corporal Sergio Puscetta had already observed unusual aerial phenomena during his night patrols. These sightings occurred in nearly the same location where he would later have his more significant encounter.
Puscetta had been vigilant enough to capture video evidence of one such anomaly. The footage, later shown to reporters, displayed a round light that appeared to rotate on its axis. This recording represents one of the few pieces of tangible evidence from the series of incidents in the area.
During his post-recovery interview on March 7th, Puscetta confirmed these earlier sightings, explaining he had witnessed "odd illuminations in the sky" while patrolling at night. These prior encounters suggest the March incident was the culmination of ongoing activity rather than a single, isolated event.
Official Investigation Response
The response from authorities to these phenomena raised questions about prior knowledge. Notably, La Pampa Minister Juan Carlos Tierno specifically requested a copy of Puscetta's video recording on the very night the officer went missing - before the footage had been screened for the press.
This timing is particularly curious, as the request came during the active search for the missing officer. It suggests officials may have had previous awareness of unusual phenomena in the region or specific interest in Puscetta's earlier reports.
When Puscetta was found approximately 20 kilometers from his abandoned motorcycle, authorities took immediate action. He was transported to Centennial Regional Hospital where Dr. Covella conducted examinations, finding him physically normal but mentally exhausted. Medical staff placed him under psychiatric care due to his confusion, headaches, and unexplained itching in his hands.
Five days after his discovery, Puscetta was released from hospital care and agreed to speak with both the press and UFO researcher Cookie Mario, who traveled to General Pico specifically to examine the location of the reported encounter.
What I Witnessed in the Cornfield
The Red Light Incident
On March 2nd, 2006, at approximately 9:20 PM, Sergio Puscetta was conducting his regular patrol near a cornfield in the high mountain pass area of General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina. While riding his Honda 125cc motorcycle, he noticed a peculiar red light that resembled a vehicle's taillight. After finding nothing at the location where he thought the light originated, he dismounted his motorcycle to investigate further.
Upon returning to his vehicle, just as he was about to put on his helmet, the red light suddenly appeared directly in front of his face with intense brightness. The light seemed to have a hypnotic effect on him, rendering him unable to move anything except his hands. Puscetta observed the light moving over his entire body before it rose high into the air.
Encounter with Strange Beings
As the light ascended, Puscetta experienced a severe headache and eye pain. Regaining his mobility, he fled toward a nearby cornfield. He later reported being followed by two humanoid creatures that appeared to float above the ground rather than walk.
These beings had several distinctive features:
At least one appeared semi-transparent
They were shorter and thinner than Puscetta
They possessed unusually large heads
Their eyes were described as "clear and very red"
Puscetta had no recollection of dismantling his police pistol or removing the battery and antenna from his walkie-talkie, though these items were later found scattered near his motorcycle. His cell phone was recovered with its memory wiped clean except for the last call he had made.
Life Tests and Memory Recollection
During the encounter, Puscetta felt the creatures communicating with him telepathically. They seemed to be inside his head, performing what he described as "life tests" to gauge his responses. In what felt like seconds, his entire life flashed before him—from childhood to that very moment.
The beings appeared to have complete access to his memories and thoughts, scanning his entire life history almost instantaneously. Puscetta couldn't recall whether he was walking or running during this experience, only that his memories were being accessed without his control.
This mental intrusion was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The creatures seemed to extract information from him effortlessly, leaving him in a state of confusion but conscious enough to observe what was happening.
The Tall Entity in the Cornfield
Upon reaching the cornfield, Puscetta encountered a third being that was significantly different from the others. This entity was much taller than Puscetta and was observed chewing corn cobs and breaking them in half. The sight of this creature filled him with terror, temporarily paralyzing him with fear.
As the tall figure began approaching him, Puscetta sensed a mental communication: "Either you go forward or backward." After a moment of contemplation, he chose to walk past the entity, at which point his fear mysteriously subsided.
When later questioned by fellow officers about whether this figure could have been an animal, Puscetta firmly rejected this possibility, citing the creature's extraordinary size. Throughout the entire experience, he maintained that he was fully conscious and that what he witnessed was neither a dream nor a hallucination.