Fox News reported on air Wednesday, “Surely there is a possibility something like this can enter the United States”.
It is unknown as of yet if the truck was specifically targeted for its radioactive contents.
“The vehicle was transporting radiotherapy equipment containing the radioactive isotope cobalt-60 from a hospital to a waste storage center, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
“At the time the truck was stolen, the source was properly shielded,” the IAEA said in a statement. “However, the source could be extremely dangerous to a person if removed from the shielding, or if it was damaged.”
The vehicle was a 2.5-ton Volkswagen truck with an integrated crane, Mexico’s National Commission of Nuclear Safety and Safeguards (CNSNS) said. The truck was stolen on Monday at a gas station in Tepojaco, near Mexico City.”
This is all very concerning as the IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano made a startling announcement last year at a nuclear security summit in South Korea. At the summit Amano “identified cobalt-60 as one of the materials that could be used with conventional explosives to make a so-called dirty bomb.
Mexican officials sought the public’s help in recovering the radioactive material while at the same time cautioning against opening the protective shielding or coming into contact with the material. The search was taking place in six states and the capital.”, according to the L.A. Times.
From Intellihub
