Something strange is happening in this tiny town on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in the far reaches of Northern New Mexico.
Move over, Roswell. Dulce is home to true UFO believers | Features | santafenewmexican.com Skip to main content You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Sign Up Log In Dashboard Logout My Account Dashboard Profile Saved items Logout Home News Local News Adventure Business Coronavirus Corrections Education Elections Health & Science Legislature Nation & World News in Brief Weather Sports High School Lobos Opinion Pasatiempo Art Books Columns Movies Music Performance Restaurants Obituaries Empty Stocking Fund Life Submit announcements Taste Teen Celebrations Class of 2021 Classifieds Animals Announcements & Notices Automotive Finance Garage Sales Legal Notices Obituaries Place an Ad Real Estate Recreational Rentals Service Directory Real Estate Featured Listings Open Houses Home Magazine Home Jobs Career opportunities at The New Mexican Legals 27° | e-Edition | App | Archive | Advertise | Subscriptions | Calendar | News Tips | Contact | Help Home News Local News Adventure Business Coronavirus Corrections Education Elections Health & Science Legislature Nation & World News in Brief Weather Sports High School Lobos Opinion Pasatiempo Art Books Columns Movies Music Performance Restaurants Obituaries Empty Stocking Fund Life Submit announcements Taste Teen Celebrations Class of 2021 Classifieds Animals Announcements & Notices Automotive Finance Garage Sales Legal Notices Obituaries Place an Ad Real Estate Recreational Rentals Service Directory Real Estate Featured Listings Open Houses Home Magazine Home Jobs Career opportunities at The New Mexican Legals Menu Sign Up For Push Notifications Search Sign Up For Push Notifications Site search Search Welcome, Guest Sign Up Log In Dashboard Logout My Account My Account Dashboard Profile Saved items Logout Close 1 of 7 Chelse Anderson, who works at the Wild Horse Casino, displays one of the t-shirts for sale in the gift shop. The casino is hosting a two-day conference next weekend on UFOs and the so-called Dulce Base. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Dulce native Geraldine Julian points to a mountainside on Archuleta Mesa where she said area residents claim to have seen UFOs enter the so-called Dulce Base, an alleged underground base for space aliens. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save An unidentified flying object was graffitied on a road sign on a dirt road outside Dulce, an isolated town in Northern New Mexico where police started to document unexplained cattle mutilations in the mid-1970s. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Two casts, purportedly of Bigfoot's footprints, lie in the backseat of a pickup truck in May, 2016 in Dulce. Courtesy photo. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tim Anderson, a former police officer in Dulce, claims to have found the footprints of Bigfoot or a "mystical creature" who lives on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in Northern New Mexico. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Visitors are prohibited from traveling into certain areas of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation without a permit. In the background is Archuleta Mesa, which some people believe serves as an underground base for space aliens. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Some business owners are trying to capitalize on reported sightings of unidentified flying objects and Bigfoot around Dulce, a town just south of the Colorado border with a population that is overwhelmingly Native American. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save prevnext Close Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save #modal-image-5ed49d7a-14e5-11e6-b8d1-cfa8c6250d58 img { max-height: 473px; } Prev Previous Previous Saved by sardines, rescued by pasta That headline is the title of my favorite chapter in Deborah… Next Next Up Next Up Heading south to a fly fisherman’s paradise: Patagonia If you are a fly fisherman and want to travel to one of the … centerpiece Move over, Roswell. Dulce is home to true UFO believers By Daniel J. ChacónThe New Mexican May 7, 2016 May 7, 2016 Updated Dec 13, 2021 1 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Geraldine Julian, who claims to have had numerous sightings of UFOs in Dulce, points to the area where she said a “big spaceship” hovered over her before disappearing into the night sky. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican 1 of 5 Dulce native Geraldine Julian points to a mountainside on Archuleta Mesa where she said area residents claim to have seen UFOs enter the so-called Dulce Base, an alleged underground base for space aliens. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican An unidentified flying object was graffitied on a road sign on a dirt road outside Dulce, an isolated town in Northern New Mexico where police started to document unexplained cattle mutilations in the mid-1970s. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican Two casts, purportedly of Bigfoot's footprints, lie in the backseat of a pickup truck in May, 2016 in Dulce. Courtesy photo. Tim Anderson, a former police officer in Dulce, claims to have found the footprints of Bigfoot or a "mystical creature" who lives on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in Northern New Mexico. Visitors are prohibited from traveling into certain areas of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation without a permit. In the background is Archuleta Mesa, which some people believe serves as an underground base for space aliens. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican prevnext Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save DULCE — Something strange is happening in this tiny town on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in the far reaches of Northern New Mexico.Residents claim they’re seeing — even photographing — flying saucers and other unidentified flying objects over the community of about 2,600 people, many of whom also share stories of low-flying military helicopters and fast-moving lights darting back and forth in the sky.One resident even claims to have tracked Bigfoot.But it’s the unexplained activity in the sky — and possibly underneath a neighboring mountain — that has captivated this community, the capital of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Everyone knows about New Mexico’s decades-long connection with UFOs, starting with the reported crash landing of an unidentified flying object on a ranch near Roswell in 1947.Since then, New Mexicans have reported hundreds of sightings and encounters with UFOs. Roswell has built an industry around its fabled alien visitors with a museum and annual festival devoted to them.But if Roswell is the capital of New Mexico’s fascination with the unexplained, Dulce is the town of true believers.“The whole town of Dulce, whoever you want to talk to, they’ll tell you what they’ve seen — a lot of them,” said 78-year-old Geraldine Julian, who claims to have seen multiple UFOs and other strange activity starting in the 1960s.“It’s not just a fairy tale,” Julian insisted. “All the things are true, and I believe every last one of them, too, because I’ve seen it myself.”Julian swears she saw “a big spaceship” hovering above her property just outside of town.“The bottom part was flat … but on top there was a dome,” she said while resting near a blocked-off bridge where the alleged UFO flew over. “There was movement inside.”Talk of UFOs and other unexplained activity in and around this isolated community just south of the Colorado border is not new.Legend has it that Dulce is ground zero for space aliens who are working in concert with the government in a not-so-secret facility underneath Archuleta Mesa, a steep, flat-topped mountain overlooking the town.“In 1979, businessman Paul Bennewitz was convinced he was picking up electronic communications from alien spacecraft, and after further investigations, he claims he discovered a secret underground base near the town of Dulce where these signals were coming from,” according to the Top5s, a YouTube channel that ranked the Dulce Base the second most mysterious and highly forbidden place on the planet.“His results excited the UFO community and by 1990, well-known ufologist John Lear also claims he had proof the base existed, and the theories have been going on ever since,” according to the report, which has received more than 1.5 million views on YouTube.The so-called Dulce Base, which was featured on the History Channel’s UFO Hunters television show, purportedly contains multiple levels, including areas for genetic and mind-control experiments and cryogenics storage. As the story goes, the Dulce Base serves as the hub of an underground transportation system linked to other alien bases, including one in Taos.“I’m not a believer,” said one of the cooks at the Players Sports Bar & Grill a local gathering spot that sells a “Sasquatch Burger,” an enormous hamburger with 2 pounds of beef, six strips of bacon and four slices of cheese between bread in the shape of a big foot. Near the entrance of the bar is a poster with two green space aliens, one dressed as a cowboy and the other as an Indian with a headdress, and the words, “Where the locals hang out!” Some business owners are trying to capitalize on reported sightings of unidentified flying objects and Bigfoot around Dulce, a town just south of the Colorado border with a population that is overwhelmingly Native American. The Wild Horse Casino next door also is trying to capitalize on the alleged space alien activity. Among the T-shirts for sale in the casino’s gift shop is one featuring a green alien with big, blue eyes over the caption, “I got probed at Dulce Base.”Chelse Anderson, 27, who works at the casino, said the hotel attracts visitors who are specifically in search of UFOs.“They prefer rooms with a view of the mountain, that way they can see it,” she said. “We have some [guests] that wander around the building at night.”The casino hotel is already booked for next weekend in anticipation of the Dulce Base UFO Conference, which a local nonprofit is hosting as a fundraiser. The nonprofit, Apache Indigenous Defenders Inc., is raising money to support organizations that work to keep local Native traditions alive. Chelse Anderson, who works at the Wild Horse Casino, displays one of the t-shirts for sale in the gift shop. The casino is hosting a two-day conference next weekend on UFOs and the so-called Dulce Base. Daniel J. Chacón/The New Mexican In an area with little economic activity, the president of the Jicarilla Apache Legislative Council has embraced the notion of a Dulce Base, partly in a push to stimulate tourism in a largely forgotten pocket of the state.“We are a proud nation who remain steadfast to our way of life as Jicarilla Apaches,” council President Ty Vicenti wrote in a welcome message posted on the conference website.“Our people have been blessed with an outstanding first of the year, as snow has given us hope for a prosperous 2016,” he wrote. “Please take the time to visit our many tribal businesses, enjoy a meal from local vendors located on Commercial Street, visit the Arts and Crafts Department and talk to the many tribal members who have first hand contact with UFO sightings and stories.”Dulce, which became the headquarters of the Jicarilla Apache Nation in 1887, is perhaps best known among Northern New Mexicans as the location of the annual Little Beaver Roundup Rodeo.The former logging town has no traffic lights or Starbucks or McDonald’s. Rather, there are a handful of convenience stores and small mom-and-pop restaurants on either side of N.M. 64. One of the main economic drivers is the casino, which, unlike other Indian casinos in New Mexico, closes at night.Anderson, a Dulce native, said she’s never seen an unidentified flying object but hopes she will one day.“Numerous people have seen stuff,” she said. “I believe there’s something there.”She’s not alone.In fact, one Dulce resident believes he captured UFOs on his camera.“I took this picture about 3 o’clock in the morning,” a man who works in the tribal government’s Public Safety Division said Wednesday while displaying a grainy photo on his phone that shows several balls of light suspended in the air.The man, who declined to give his name for fear of losing his job, also has two photos taken in broad daylight that appear to show one and then two UFOs floating in the clouds. The man declined to share his photos.“The way the government is, the way things are, I don’t want [it] to come back on me,” he said. “Plus, I’m [a public safety employee]. I’m not even supposed to be talking about this because of my job.”A former New Mexico State Police trooper, the late Gabe Valdez, documented unexplained cattle mutilations in the area in the mid-1970s, boosting speculation of alien activity.But the evidence left behind didn’t come from outer space, Valdez said in different interviews.“The evidence that was left there, you know, predators don’t leave gas masks, glow sticks, radar chaff. They don’t leave that stuff. They don’t have vitamin B-12,” Valdez said in a radio interview.In an interview with the History Channel’s UFO Hunters, Valdez said the most anomalous evidence he came across while investigating cattle mutilations happened about 40 miles east of Dulce.“We could tell where the aircraft came through,” Valdez said. “They didn’t do the whole process, and they left a fetus inside the animal.”“A fetus? A cow fetus,” UFO researcher Pat Uskert asked Valdez.“No,” Valdez replied. “It looked like a human, a monkey and a frog. It didn’t have any bones in the head. It was all full of water.”When asked if he was implying that the cow was being used as an “incubation chamber for a cloned creature,” Valdez said that’s “exactly” what he was saying.In an interview with Open Minds Radio, Valdez said he found listening devices in his home after investigating the cattle mutilations. He also claimed to have seen “sophisticated aircraft,” including an orb that looked like a hot air balloon.“People have seen the helicopters. They’re black and silent,” Valdez said in the radio interview.Tim Anderson, who is Navajo and married to an Apache, said stories of black helicopters and bright lights over Archuleta Mesa are commonplace in Dulce. He describes the town as the Roswell of Northern New Mexico.“I don’t know what it is,” he said. “I can’t explain it.”Anderson is more interested in what’s on the ground than in the air.Specifically, he’s tracking Bigfoot.“I do believe there is a mystical creature out there that nobody knows about,” said Anderson, who claims to have found two separate Bigfoot footprints that he made into casts.“I believe there is something out there,” he said. “One of these days, somebody will find something.”Anderson, who was a police officer in Dulce for 14 years, said he saw a UFO in a canyon near Archuleta Mesa while working in the late 1990s.“It lit up the whole valley and just disappeared into the rocks,” he said. “I just rubbed my eyes. ‘Did I really see that?’ ”Contact Daniel J. Chacón at 986-3089 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @danieljchacon. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Were neon green orbs hovering above Santa Fe a UFO? Santa Fean searches for answers after spotting three transparent, neon green orbs moving in concert and hovering in the distance toward the Santa Fe Place mall early Wednesday. Popular in the Community Advertisement Upcoming events There are no events available. Powered by Red Zia Events Newsletter sign up Stay up to date on the latest news and the local entertainment scene by subscribing to The New Mexican's email lists. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Morning Headlines Receive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning. Pasatiempo Newsletter Get the highlights from Santa Fe's weekly magazine of arts, entertainment and culture each Friday. Offers and Promos Contests and special offers from The Santa Fe New Mexican and advertising partners. You must select at least one email list. Please enter a valid email address. Sign up Manage your lists NEW MEXICO COVID-19 FIGURES MOST POPULAR Articles Articles images Images Videos Videos ArticlesPolice: Man shot, killed on Rufina Street early FridayNew Mexico ends year on good note after quarter of water debt to Texas eliminatedWide blue line saves cop's career after domestic caseRipple effects of Southwest travel fiasco reach Albuquerque SunportHomicide suspect eludes deputies in Santa FeIn memoriam: A look back at those who died in 2022Governor names three to Public Regulation CommissionFirst phase of Acequia Lofts nearing completionLujan Grisham promises action on education, abortion, fighting poverty in second termTesuque neighborhood grapples with mail theft, a problem across state ImagesSorry, there are no recent results for popular images. VideosSorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. COLUMNISTS & BLOGS Magic Table A year of meatballs Ringside Seat NFL handles player's catastrophic injury the right way Ringside Seat Full-throated politicos can't help themselves Building Santa Fe More fearless predictions for 2023 Sections Santa Fe New Mexican homepage News Sports Opinion Pasatiempo Magazines Life Multimedia Commenting FAQ Services Place Classified Ad Subscription Services Submission Forms Featured Ads Featured Ads Reprints Open House Listings Open House Re-Prints Commercial Printing Ad Rates Work at The New Mexican Contact Information santafenewmexican.com P.O. Box 2048 Santa Fe, NM 87504-2048 Phone: 505-983-3303 Email: [email protected] Follow Us Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Copyright © 2023 The Santa Fe New Mexican | Terms of Use Powered by BLOX Content Management System from TownNews.com. {{title}} {{summary}} Notifications Settings You don't have any notifications. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Topics Breaking News Subscribe Special Offers & Promotions Subscribe × Sorry, an error occurred. Get Started Log In You are logged in Switch accounts Back × Sign Up * Username (Optional) This is the name that will be used to identify you within the system. Choose wisely! * First name * Last name Your real name will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more! * Email Address Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. We won't share it with anyone else. * Password Create a password that only you will remember. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. * Confirm Password Confirm your password. Join our mailing lists Breaking NewsStay informed of the latest local news by receiving emails as soon as news is posted online. Morning HeadlinesReceive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning. Offers and PromosContests and special offers from The Santa Fe New Mexican and advertising partners. CAPTCHA Create Account Have an account? Log In × You're all set! Thank you . Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Check your email for details. OK Back × Log In Invalid password or account does not exist Email Address Password Remember me Forgot your password? Log In Email me a log in link Need an account? Sign Up Back × Reset Password Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Email or Screen Name CAPTCHA Reset Password × Forgot Password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Back × Email me a log in link Account Email CAPTCHA Send Email Back × Purchase Access See More Offers details close × × You are l… truncated (6,634 more characters in archive)