Since when

Is disappear an action you can take on another person? As in, and I paraphrase from NPR no less, "The government persecuted the leftists, and in extreme cases would disapper them"

Excuse me? Disappear them? Now, I understand the point -- the government did not overtly kill/kidnap/deport/etc. these people. The people just...disappeared.

But still. Is this really common usage now?

Yeah, I know. I sound curmudgeonly. "In my day, we didn't make up new words!"