Radioactive Material Reported Missing Near Southern U.S. Border — U.S. Officials Remained Silent While Mexican Officials Issued Alert
A container of Iridium-192 reportedly went missing in the southern border state of New Mexico, prompting Mexican officials to issue a warning and speak out to a local news station in El Paso. While concern was raised south of the U.S. border, American officials remained silent.
Now, questions remain after a recent report that the radioactive material was recovered on July 3.
KVIA El-Paso reported on July 2nd:
“The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission radioactive equipmentdisappeared in southern New Mexico, according to Mexico’s federal government.”
ICR further reported:
“The missing equipment is described as a container with Iridium-192, which is used for medical treatments and also in the oil industry, according to the commission.”
According to KVIA, Juarez Civil Protection Director Roberto Briones said this isn’t the first time his department has issued an alert for missing radioactive materials.
Although it is now reported the materials were recovered, a cursory overview of news reports on Google suggests Iridium-192 goes missing all the time.
As reported by Discover on March 1, “it’s scary to think how often these dangerous materials” disappear.
“Potentially dangerous radioactive material “goes missing” about 100 times a year worldwide,” Discover explained while citing a February report from The Guardian.
Less than two weeks after the story from Discover, Nuclear Newswire reported that a radiographic camera, including it’s “iridium-192 radioactive sealed source” went missing in Houston, Texas, on March 11.
A 2004 Department of Homeland Security report details the risks associated with a “dirty bomb” made from stolen radioactive materials including Iridium-192.
Nevertheless, messaging hasn’t been great from federal agencies in the United States and the latest communications failure certainly doesn’t help.
While U.S. officials remained quiet, Mexico was placed on alert.
“Right now there is an alert issued for the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora,” JCP Director Briones told KVIA, “Authorities say they do not know when the alert will be removed.”
If the material was found so quickly, why did U.S. Officials seemingly fail to promptly notify local media and the Mexican government?
Many details remain sketchy.
The continuing absence of official communication and lack of independently verifiable information isn’t encouraging.
With the threat of impending radiological attack in Ukraine dominating large swaths of the news cycle, perhaps America should direct more attention to thefts of dirty-bomb component materials near our horrendously porous southern border.
Unfortunately for the United States, however, it remains increasingly doubtful that our current Commander in Chief is even paying attention.
=
FYI - At the border patrol checkpoints along the NM border, most of the time the border patrol agents are not wearing nuclear detection devices. But sometimes they are. I ask them now and then, "are you expecting trouble?" Answer is yes.
Saturday CBP loaded for bear, but no nuclear detective device.
Yesterday, CBP checkpoint - no one even there !!!
Iridium can be used to make dirty bombs