Dec. 20, 2005 — According to federal officials, the theft of 400 pounds of high-powered plastic explosives in New Mexico is one of the largest high explosives heists in recent history.
The material was taken from Cherry Engineering, a company owned by Chris Cherry, a scientist at Sandia National Labs. The site, located outside Albuquerque, had no guards and no surveillance cameras. It was the site's second theft in the past two years.
Thieves apparently used blowtorches to cut through the storage trailers — suggesting they knew what they were after.
Officials say that the amount of stolen explosives would be enough to match the bomb that destroyed the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995 and they do not know who might be responsible.
"We don't have any suspect," said Wayne Dixie of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. "We don't have any leads at this point."
The stolen goods include 150 pounds of C-4 plastic explosive and 250 pounds of thin sheets of explosives that could be used in letter bombs. Also, 2,500 detonators were missing from a storage explosive container, or magazine, in a bunker owned by Cherry Engineering.
"Believe me, this can cause a catastrophic explosion of unbelievable proportions in the right configuration," said Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant and former FBI agent. "So it's very dangerous. We have to find this stuff and find it now."
In anticipation of potential danger, officials sent an alert to federal buildings and courthouses in New Mexico.
"This is not stuff that you peddle around at the flea market, Cloonan said. "This is stuff that has specific use."
Explosives go missing.....
More details from http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/news ... etail.html
And whoever buys these explosives will do what with them?!?!?!?!ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Federal investigators have joined with Albuquerque police and state police in the hunt for hundreds of pounds of plastic explosives stolen Sunday at a secure Albuquerque storage facility.
Also missing are 2,500 blasting caps, 250 pounds of deta sheets and an undetermined length of explosive detonation cords.
Deta sheets are especially dangerous. They can be hidden in books or letters and cannot be spotted by a metal detector.
Engineers use them for detonation.
The director of the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agency in New Mexico, Wayne Dixie, said the materials are highly explosive.
In the hands of those who know how to use it, there is enough explosive material to level a building, Dixie said.
Authorities are offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that helps them recover the stolen goods, which burglars cut through steel bars to get to.
No Leads, No Suspects
Dixie said authorities have no leads and no suspects.
The materials are owned by Cherry Engineering, Inc., a federally certified explosives storage facility in compliance with ATF regulations, Dixie said. The site was inspected weekly.
Chris Cherry, who owns the engineering company, is a scientist responsible for many innovations in explosives disruption. He's also an employee of Sandia National Laboratories.
His techniques are used by police bomb squads, ABC News reported.
"It is a very dangerous material, we want to keep this off the streets," Cherry said.
While Cherry works for Sandia, the explosives were not stolen from a Sandia Lab facility.
"Cherry is a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, and owns a business that is not affiliated with Sandia," according to an official lab news release.
Gov. Bill Richardson, who learned of the theft Sunday night, recommended not jumping to conclusions about public safety.
He said there is the possibility the explosives were taken simply so they could be sold.
"We don't think there is a threat to New Mexico, we think it may be somebody trying to make a profit or somebody that has a mental problem, but we don't know, so it's important that we move fast," said Richardson.
Never argue with idiots. They will bring you down to their level, then overwhelm you with their experience.
"I have noticed that when you post, you often say more about yourself than the topic you chose to speak about." -The Suit
"I have noticed that when you post, you often say more about yourself than the topic you chose to speak about." -The Suit
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XtremeJibber2001
- Signature Poster
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He's a Democrat. Hear no evil, see no evil, remember?spanky wrote:More details from http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/news ... etail.html
And whoever buys these explosives will do what with them?!?!?!?!ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Federal investigators have joined with Albuquerque police and state police in the hunt for hundreds of pounds of plastic explosives stolen Sunday at a secure Albuquerque storage facility.
Also missing are 2,500 blasting caps, 250 pounds of deta sheets and an undetermined length of explosive detonation cords.
Deta sheets are especially dangerous. They can be hidden in books or letters and cannot be spotted by a metal detector.
Engineers use them for detonation.
The director of the federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agency in New Mexico, Wayne Dixie, said the materials are highly explosive.
In the hands of those who know how to use it, there is enough explosive material to level a building, Dixie said.
Authorities are offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that helps them recover the stolen goods, which burglars cut through steel bars to get to.
No Leads, No Suspects
Dixie said authorities have no leads and no suspects.
The materials are owned by Cherry Engineering, Inc., a federally certified explosives storage facility in compliance with ATF regulations, Dixie said. The site was inspected weekly.
Chris Cherry, who owns the engineering company, is a scientist responsible for many innovations in explosives disruption. He's also an employee of Sandia National Laboratories.
His techniques are used by police bomb squads, ABC News reported.
"It is a very dangerous material, we want to keep this off the streets," Cherry said.
While Cherry works for Sandia, the explosives were not stolen from a Sandia Lab facility.
"Cherry is a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, and owns a business that is not affiliated with Sandia," according to an official lab news release.
Gov. Bill Richardson, who learned of the theft Sunday night, recommended not jumping to conclusions about public safety.
He said there is the possibility the explosives were taken simply so they could be sold.
"We don't think there is a threat to New Mexico, we think it may be somebody trying to make a profit or somebody that has a mental problem, but we don't know, so it's important that we move fast," said Richardson.
Last edited by XtremeJibber2001 on Dec 20th, '05, 19:09, edited 1 time in total.
The Bomber
A tad off topic, but what the heck.
TERRORIST BOMB DETONATES ON BOMBERS
TIKRIT, Iraq – One terrorist was killed and another severely injured when the improvised explosive device they were attempting to emplace detonated prematurely. The incident occurred Dec. 19, near the city of Tikrit.
Soldiers searching the area discovered another artillery round and several other IED components in a nearby vehicle.
http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/News ... 051255.txt
-- $$
Hey look... no hands... no feet either.
By the way... this isn't the first time this has happened, and it's been happening more often recently. It shows me that these people aren't professionals, and a lot of the ones who are have been captured. It also shows me that some of them aren't getting the proper training that they should be getting, and that's a good thing.
TERRORIST BOMB DETONATES ON BOMBERS
TIKRIT, Iraq – One terrorist was killed and another severely injured when the improvised explosive device they were attempting to emplace detonated prematurely. The incident occurred Dec. 19, near the city of Tikrit.
Soldiers searching the area discovered another artillery round and several other IED components in a nearby vehicle.
http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/News ... 051255.txt
-- $$
Hey look... no hands... no feet either.
By the way... this isn't the first time this has happened, and it's been happening more often recently. It shows me that these people aren't professionals, and a lot of the ones who are have been captured. It also shows me that some of them aren't getting the proper training that they should be getting, and that's a good thing.
Re: The Bomber
Aw, too bad. Seems they killed off the experianced suicide bombers and now the ammatures are trying their luck. Oops, you made a mistake.... BOOM! bye bye. Funny that it seems these stories are never on the 6 o'clock news.Slap Shot wrote:A tad off topic, but what the heck.
TERRORIST BOMB DETONATES ON BOMBERS
TIKRIT, Iraq – One terrorist was killed and another severely injured when the improvised explosive device they were attempting to emplace detonated prematurely. The incident occurred Dec. 19, near the city of Tikrit.
Soldiers searching the area discovered another artillery round and several other IED components in a nearby vehicle.
http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/News ... 051255.txt
-- $$
Hey look... no hands... no feet either.
By the way... this isn't the first time this has happened, and it's been happening more often recently. It shows me that these people aren't professionals, and a lot of the ones who are have been captured. It also shows me that some of them aren't getting the proper training that they should be getting, and that's a good thing.
MUST STOP POSTING ! MUST STOP POSTING !
Shut up and Ski!
Why's Everybody Always Pickin on Me?
Shut up and Ski!
Why's Everybody Always Pickin on Me?
Baby Boomers
Task Force Baghdad Destroys Tons of Weapons
The ammunition dump north of Baghdad housed tons of ordnance stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's military.
TAJI, Iraq, Dec. 21, 2005 — "Fire in the hole ... Fire in the Hole," shouted U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Neil Morrison immediately before he detonated seven 1,000 pound bombs nearly simultaneously Dec. 16.
The ammunition dump, known as Area Echo and located north of Baghdad, housed tons of ordnance stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's military. The area contained everything from small caliber ammunition, mortars and artillery shells, to larger weapons such as 1,000 pound bombs, and surface to air missiles.
"Each of the bombs contains almost 450 pounds of explosive material," said Morrison. "We don't usually get to detonate aircraft bombs...we don't get to blow up this much material very often."
Once the munitions are deactivated, the empty casings are de-milled by a contracting company. The de-milling operation gives jobs to local workers and infuses much needed revenue back into the local economy.
Swenson estimated that nearly 20,000 tons of munitions had been destroyed in Area Echo and the removal these munitions was a significant task that added to the safety of coalition forces and the Iraqi people.
"It means that insurgents can't use the materials for building bombs and the Iraqi government can re-use the land for other purposes."
http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/D ... 05dg2.html
Now THAT'S professionalism!
-- $$
The UN weapons inspectors didn't find these...
The ammunition dump north of Baghdad housed tons of ordnance stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's military.
TAJI, Iraq, Dec. 21, 2005 — "Fire in the hole ... Fire in the Hole," shouted U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Neil Morrison immediately before he detonated seven 1,000 pound bombs nearly simultaneously Dec. 16.
The ammunition dump, known as Area Echo and located north of Baghdad, housed tons of ordnance stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's military. The area contained everything from small caliber ammunition, mortars and artillery shells, to larger weapons such as 1,000 pound bombs, and surface to air missiles.
"Each of the bombs contains almost 450 pounds of explosive material," said Morrison. "We don't usually get to detonate aircraft bombs...we don't get to blow up this much material very often."
Once the munitions are deactivated, the empty casings are de-milled by a contracting company. The de-milling operation gives jobs to local workers and infuses much needed revenue back into the local economy.
Swenson estimated that nearly 20,000 tons of munitions had been destroyed in Area Echo and the removal these munitions was a significant task that added to the safety of coalition forces and the Iraqi people.
"It means that insurgents can't use the materials for building bombs and the Iraqi government can re-use the land for other purposes."
http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/D ... 05dg2.html
Now THAT'S professionalism!
-- $$
The UN weapons inspectors didn't find these...
Why not bold what he actually said, instead of bolding the clueless news piece?spanky wrote:And whoever buys these explosives will do what with them?!?!?!?!
Richardson said :
"We don't think there is a threat to New Mexico, we think it may be somebody trying to make a profit or somebody that has a mental problem, but we don't know, so it's important that we move fast"
The info they apparently have is that this may have been a simple theft for profit, but they don't know. Richardson clearly says that law enforcement needs to move fast to prevent these explosives from ever being used by terrorists. What exactly is your problem with what he said?
They've found the explosives:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/24/explo ... index.html
Let the McVeigh comparisons commence....
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/24/explo ... index.html
Let the McVeigh comparisons commence....
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XtremeJibber2001
- Signature Poster
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- Joined: Nov 5th, '04, 09:35
- Location: New York
HelmetCam wrote:They've found the explosives:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/24/explo ... index.html
Let the McVeigh comparisons commence....
So then why did these guys steal this stuff? For future 4th of July celebrations? Gimme a breakAll of the explosives and detonating materials were recovered, and there was no evidence to suggest the theft was connected to terrorism, said Wayne Dixie of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.