A truck carrying "extremely dangerous" material stolen in Mexico

[Grim333]

They've had radiation monitors permanently mounted at the major border crossings for years. Not anything new.

 

[killerkarl]

You know how big a "small" nuclear weapon is right?

Somewhere between a very large backpack and a footlocker?

 

[bsoileau24]

How much of this cobalt 60 is missing ?

 

[sandman7925]

Thats why it was in a scrap metal truck?! And people wonder why we (The U.S.) get involved when other countires start to handle this material and want to know what they are doing with it and where it is going. Look at Iran, Pakistan, etc....! Some people/countries should not have any of it to begin with!

Whats the saying?.... Better to as for forgivness than to ask for permission! I'm all about offense b/ its the best defense! Thats all I'm saying!

Where did it say scrap metal truck?

 

[themcfarland]

The scary thing about cobalt is , it reacts to other isotopes very easily.. SO you could use smaller amounts of even reactor grade stuff to maximize your yields..

For example, it would react very well to ....... Decided to edit for common sense readers.. you can ask your local wiki for that info..

 

[troy_mclure]

You know how big a "small" nuclear weapon is right?

about the size of a large ALICE pack.

 

[Leonidas]

You realize we just intercepted a tinfoil insinuation. Lol

 

[JBP55]

When the Mexican authorities found the truck some of the radioactive material was missing.

 

[troy_mclure]

a dirty bomb of cobalt 60 in a major urban area would shut down that area for weeks, if not months.
think of wallstreet closed weeks while they try to decontaminate the area.

 

[freedive10]

Where did it say scrap metal truck?

Article stated that the scrap metal in the truck may have been the target by common thieves.

I call BULL$#*& on that though!

 

[sandman7925]

Article stated that the scrap metal in the truck may have been the target by common thieves.

I call BULL$#*& on that though!

There must more to the article that wasn't copied and pasted over and I don't see a link. Regardless a truck is a truck and as long as it has the required markings for transporting a source it's G2G. Doesn't make it a scrap metal truck which I'm not sure what that is either.
It all smells like either bs or like it's getting blown out of proportion.

 

[TomTerrific]

A number of things here.
How large is a small nuclear device: They have a nuclear 155mm howitzer shell, or at least developed one.
Dirty bomb: There are two types of dirty bombs. 1. You add something radioactive like Co-60 to a conventional bomb. Those dudes would die trying to do that with these sources. 2. You make a Co-59 tamper for a nuclear device. Takes a lot of technology to do this.
Medical devices: These sources were from medical devices in Tijuana (I think) which were packed up for disposal in Mexico's nuclear waste facility near Mexico City. The devices were being updated. You can trash an old medical device but have to dispose of the Co-60 appropriately.
Industrial use: Co-60 is used all over the place to shoot welds, as someone mentioned. As RSO of my facility, I had to approve their use in the plant. No big deal as long as appropriate procedures were used.
Contamination: Every scrap metal lot in the BR area has radiation detectors at their entries. Been like that for at least 30y.

Lots of stories out there about lost sources, many of them true.

 

[3fifty7]

I hope they don't bring that to the CocaCola bottling plant in Mexico cause man that is some tasty stuff!

 

[Log Island]

I hope they don't bring that to the CocaCola bottling plant in Mexico cause man that is some tasty stuff!

Ok, so I'm not mental after all? I swear Dos Equis is better there as well....

 

[Jack]

about the size of a large ALICE pack.

I should've been more specific. One not developed by us or the Russians(one that would be made by terrorists or with this type of material).

 

[CEHollier]

Cobalt-60 is some nasty stuff. When we were in Monterey Mexico they were using it to x-Ray our welds. The exposure time was really short on xxxheavy pipe. Even the x-Ray techs were scared of it. If it were to be used in a dirty bomb it would have the potential to get really nasty for a bunch of people, if there was enough used.


All American Gunsmithing LLC



Baton Rouge L.A.

Thank God our leaders had the foresight to contain our borders. Otherwise nasty stuff like this might get across.

 

[LACamper]

Wouldn't it just be a matter of packing it around a few pounds of c4, or even some low order explosives (blackpowder, propane, ANFO, etc.)?

Also, couldn't they just dump it in some city's reservoir?

 

[Kraut]

Wouldn't it just be a matter of packing it around a few pounds of c4, or even some low order explosives (blackpowder, propane, ANFO, etc.)?

Also, couldn't they just dump it in some city's reservoir?

A Cobalt-60 source of the type they are likely discussing would have to be subjected to an explosive force significant enough to basically atomize it for discharge as particulate fallout. Sources used in x-ray and medical procedures are not just a hunk of exposed ore, they are encapsulated within a metallic casing, and then heavily shielded within the host device. C-4 would propel the sample just like a ball bearing from a claymore. It would be small enough that it would be packed within the C-4, not around it. You don't want to pick up the sample or linger close to it, but if you did it would not "get on you," as gamma radiation more accurately "goes through you," destroying cells as it does. Dropped in a water source, it would sit and emit gamma radiation until it ran itself out and then it would just sit. Any fish lingering nearby for a while could die of the gamma ray exposure, but would not be poisonous if caught and eaten before expiring. Unless in a minute particulate form, it would not contaminate a water supply.

None of this means it is not extremely dangerous. Exposure to gamma radiation can easily lead to death, and it will likely be a brutal process to get to that point. Even sources "depleted" beyond functional use for radiography, if the exposure is close enough and long enough, will fu@k your world up, and the source casings look harmless enough that any kid seeing it laying on the ground would probably quickly pick it up and start piddling with it. Hopefully it was properly packed and labeled so whoever stole it doesn't open it and leave it for someone who won't know what it is.

 

[Barry J]

They just said on the news that the material was found. Looks like the container was dumped out of the truck. The truck was the target of the theft. The container had been opened but none of the material is missing. They also said whoever opened the container will probably be dead in a couple of days.

 

[TomTerrific]

Kraut - very well said.

A number of years ago a source got loose in Mexico, someone picked it up and took it home.

I believe there were 5 or 6 fatalities.

Death from acute radiation poisoning is lingering and painful.