The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reports that a truck carrying radioactive Cobalt-60 material used in medical procedures has been stolen in Tepojaco, Mexico, just north of Mexico City. The truck was transporting the material from Tijuana, which is over 1,400 miles away.
The danger is that Cobalt-60 could be used in a radiological explosive device, sometimes called a “dirty bomb,” which is designed to spread radioactivity across an area by way of a conventional explosion.
One cannot help but wonder if the thieves knew what they were taking. And if they did, what is their plan?
It could be criminals looking to resell. But Al Qaeda has had at least one operative arrested on the Mexican border several years ago and Hezbollah is known to have a presence in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.
UPDATE: The radioactive material, Cobalt-60, has been found abandoned by authorities in Mexico. It would appear that who ever stole the truck had no idea what they had taken. They most likely exposed themselves to dangerous radiation in the process, though their whereabouts are currently unknown.
Terror Trends Bulletin 