WASHINGTON — Federal investigators digging into the disappearances and deaths of 11 scientists and researchers are likely to find “crazy stuff” about their respective cases — but not a connection between them, a former top US nuclear official told The Post.
Frank Rose, who served as the No. 2 at the agency’s National Nuclear Security Administration until April 2024, said that having been “the deputy there for several years,” nothing surprises him anymore.
“Crazy stuff happens all the time,” Rose noted. “Every day something went wrong, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
“This is a cross section of America and the people in the NNSA complex have all the good qualities, bad qualities and questionable qualities that you’ll find across the American population,” he also said.
The NNSA said in a statement Friday it was “aware of reports related to employees of our labs, plants, and sites and is looking into” mysterious deaths, suicides and vanishings of those who had left the agency — often with security clearances to information about US aerospace, defense or UFOs.
Given the more than 60,000-person workforce, Rose doesn’t believe the incidents are “connected” but said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if you look into each of these individual cases, there’s probably something more once you dig into it.”
“This would go right to the administrator and the deputy administrator. They don’t sweep stuff like this under the rug,” he added.
“NNSA and the National Security Laboratory complex is a huge foreign intelligence target, but again, I have not seen any evidence that, you know, the deaths, when I was there, were connected in any way with a foreign intelligence organization.”
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), a member of the House Oversight Committee, has suggested China, Russia or Iran could also be behind the disappearances.
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One source familiar with the cold cases indicated that NNSA officials in the past have noticed “Chinese nationals all of a sudden just showing up and asking if they can get tours” at some secure locations.
“The White House is actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential commonalities that may exist,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X Friday.
“No stone will be unturned in this effort, and the White House will provide updates when we have them.”
