A routine rural patrol became a defining mystery in Argentina’s UFO lore when police corporal Luis Sergio Pucheta vanished near General Pico, La Pampa, on March 2, 2006. His sudden disappearance, physical symptoms, and extraordinary testimony drew national police and media attention and remain debated to this day.
Key Takeaways
Footprints showed gaps up to seven meters, suggesting rapid or unusual movement not humanly possible.
Despite heavy rain, Pucheta’s clothes were dry when found, even though he had travelled 20–30 km from his last known location.
Medical exams confirmed burns and photosensitivity, yet no dehydration after 18 hours missing; psychological trauma led to his retirement from police service.
Pucheta described telepathic warnings from red-eyed, small entities, as well as sensations of levitation and a “life review”.
The case prompted extensive searches, official investigations, and discussions among Argentina’s UFO researchers and police hierarchy.
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Pucheta’s Disappearance
On March 2, 2006, around 7:30 PM, 31-year-old Corporal Luis Sergio Pucheta started his patrol for the Cattle Rustling Division. He covered areas like Dorila, Speluzzi, and Trebolares, taking extra duties for colleague Marcelo Villegas. About 80 km in, near “El cruce de las Cañas,” he saw a strange glow in the scrubland.
Pucheta thought it might be poachers. He stopped his Honda 125 cc motorcycle, removed his helmet, and checked on foot. Finding nothing, he returned to his bike. Then, two red lights appeared 50 meters away.
“I was driving a motorcycle (a Honda 125 cc belonging to the Cattle Rustling Division) and when I reached the wilderness area we call ‘Las Cañas’, I saw a red light similar to that of a car,” Pucheta later said. “Then I got off my motorcycle to see if I could hear any noises. When I got back on the motorcycle and was about to put on my helmet, the red light appeared in front of me, against my face and very strong.”
The lights dazzled him, causing tingling and paralysis. He could only move his hands. “The red light stood in front of me and sort of hypnotized me,” he recounted. “I could only move my hands, nothing else. I couldn’t move the rest of my body…it was as if (the light) was going all over my body.”
Pucheta called Villegas. His voice sounded distorted. “Come to las cañas, you know what’s happening,” he said before the line cut.
Villegas alerted emergency services. Commissioner Inspector Roberto Osvaldo Ayala arrived in 10 minutes. They found the tipped motorcycle and helmet. Somehow, Pucheta had disassembled his radio, 9mm pistol, and cellphone. The pistol’s grip, slide, barrel, spring, safety, magazine, and bullets were orderly. No struggle signs or tracks from others.
Footprints led into fields toward Meridiano Quinto. They started normal but spaced up to seven meters apart over 2,800 meters. “It seemed like he was flying,” Villegas noted.
A storm hit at 2 AM, erasing evidence. Search involved multiple units, including Minister of Security Juan Carlos Tierno and Police Chief Ricardo Baudaux.
Pucheta’s Reappearance and Initial Account
The next afternoon, March 3, a local farm owner discovered Pucheta sitting dazed, 20–30 km away in “El Triángulo.” He was unresponsive but later clung to his commanding officer, sobbing. Notably, his clothes were completely dry despite the storm, and his boots were only wet from grass. Police recorded that his uniform bore no burrs and exhibited no dirt.
When questioned, he said that he had been “waiting there since the morning. I was there from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, sitting and waiting” in a place where “no one ever came by”.
When asked why he hadn’t decided to move away from that spot, he replied: “My feet were paralyzed. I was numb,” adding fearfully “they told me that if I spent the day there until the evening, they would come back for me again.”
After calming down, Pucheta described being approached by small, transparent beings with disproportionately large heads and bright red eyes. He stated these entities communicated telepathically, issued warnings, and seemed to test or probe his mind, causing him to relive childhood memories and feel as if he was floating above the landscape. He recalled seeing a large figure eating corn cobs in a field and received warnings that another solitary officer might be “targeted” in the future.
“I felt I was inside my mother’s belly … then I started remembering things from my childhood,” Pucheta said. He emphasized the beings communicated directly to his mind and reported visions of the countryside from above, intense heat on his feet, and a persistent sensation of pursuit.
Medical and Police Investigation
Taken to the Gobernador Centeno Hospital, Pucheta was found to have burns and blistering on his feet, heightened sensitivity to light, but no dehydration despite 18 hours without food or water. He required psychiatric evaluation for a “confusional episode.” Police and local UFO investigator Quique Mario documented the scene, noting the strange physical clues and absence of any conventional explanation.
Further anomalies included his cellphone erasing all numbers except the last dialed, and inconsistencies in phone logs that investigators could not resolve.
Following years of trauma-induced disability, Pucheta was officially retired by police authorities in May 2013. He never returned to law enforcement, and the incident is classified in police files as “S/Paradero” (“Missing Person”) with no definitive explanation.
"I never want to go through that again, IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYBODY,"
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Skeptical Perspectives
Despite the physical and psychological evidence, official investigations found no clear proof of extraterrestrial interference beyond unusual footprints and medical symptoms. Pucheta had no history of mental illness or UFO interest. Many aspects—dry clothing, footprint gaps, and “missing time”—remain unexplained, while the area has a history of reported “strange lights” and cattle mutilations, lending local intrigue but no consensus.
Skeptics note that accounts of red-eyed beings and telepathic commands are typical of global UFO lore, raising questions about the origin and interpretation of Pucheta’s testimony. Investigators continue to debate whether trauma and environmental factors could have contributed to his experience.
Broader Context and Other Sightings
La Pampa is known for numerous UFO sightings, some linked to mysterious cattle mutilations. In earlier years, truck drivers, farmers, and other police have reported luminous objects and odd field phenomena—though none as dramatic as Pucheta’s case. These events continue to fuel regional legends and national debate about the possibilities and limits of rational explanation.
Conclusion: Fact, Trauma, or Encounter?
The disappearance of Corporal Luis Sergio Pucheta remains one of Argentina’s most enigmatic and troubling cases. The official record holds verified facts—disappearance, physical after-effects, strange footprints, and his lasting psychological trauma—alongside his own vivid, disturbing memories of “beings” and “warnings.” Whether an alien abduction, psychological crisis, or a combination of factors, the case invites investigation and reflection—without providing final proof or closure.
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