[2] During the 1970s, Bennewitz became a member of Arizona's Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO), a civilian UFO investigation group.

[9] The 2013 documentary Mirage Men includes the suggestion that government agents likely "first identified" Bennewitz at this meeting[9] or outright targeted him for his participation.

[13] Bennewitz reportedly began filming strange lights and recording unusual radio signals over Kirtland Air Force Base.

[14] On May 6, 1980, State Police in Cimarron, New Mexico received a report from a woman calling herself "Myrna Hansen" (not to be confused with the movie star of the same name) describing a story involving interplanetary visitors, bright lights, and herds of cattle.

Hansen explained to Bennewitz that on May 5, 1980, while she was driving with her son near Eagle Nest, New Mexico they had witnessed two large, silent objects approximately the size of Goodyear Blimps hovering over a meadow.

I will go out on a limb here and say that the story of Myrna Hansen was probably a well-orchestrated hoax because of a very important fact: the listening devices found in my dad’s house.

The government heard all the conversations on the phone between my dad and [Bennewitz], so such a hoax would be relatively easy to accomplish... Myrna Hansen came into the picture in May of 1980 and the Air Force did not even acknowledge contact with Paul until November of 1980...

Senator Pete Domenici, Bennewitz explained that "sometime late 79 or first of 80 an argument insued [sic] over weapons and the military abandoned [Dulce base]; the final circumstance of the men unknown...".

On April 8, 1983, Bennewitz was discussed in a UPI wire story about his supposed 1980 filming of UFOs over the Manzano Weapons Storage facility.

[23] In 1988, the tabloid Weekly World News published a story entitled "UFO base found in New Mexico" which claimed that "diabolical invaders from another solar system have set up a secret underground base in the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico – so they can shanghai human guinea pigs for bizarre genetic experiments".

[25] Bennewitz claimed the existence of a plot involving an extensive network of UFO bases tied to an alien colonization and control scheme to subjugate mankind.

After he saw the hypnosis sessions of Myrna Hansen, who claimed to have UFO experiences, he became convinced that cattle mutilations were due to aliens.

As a result, Bennewitz claimed to have uncovered evidence of aliens controlling humans through electromagnetic devices, and furthermore claimed that UFOs were regularly flying near Kirtland Air Force Base and the nearby Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility and Coyote Canyon Test Area.

After attempting to barricade himself in his home using sandbags, his family admitted him to the mental health unit of Presbyterian Anna Kaseman Hospital; He remained under observation there for one month.

On July 1, 1989, William Moore claimed that he tried to push Bennewitz into a mental breakdown by feeding him false information about aliens.

[30] In 2005, the book Project Beta: The Story of Paul Bennewitz, National Security, and the Creation of a Modern UFO Myth by Greg Bishop further publicized the events.