Officials Say The Material Taken From the New Mexico Area Can Level a Building
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."
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Explosives Heist One of the Biggest in Recent History
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N.M. police recover stolen explosives
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Four men, including two brothers, were taken into custody Friday by federal authorities in connection with the theft of 400 pounds of explosives from a storage depot southwest of Albuquerque.
The explosives were reported stolen Sunday from Cherry Engineering's storage depot eight miles southwest of New Mexico's largest city. Federal authorities have said it was enough to flatten a large building.
The men, whose names were not immediately released, all face federal charges, including possession of stolen explosives.
Three of the arrests were made in Bloomfield, in the northwest corner of the state, and the other was made in Ignacio, Colo., said Tom Mangan, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Federal authorities were processing a crime scene in a remote area of New Mexico, but Mangan did not release any details.
Stolen were 150 pounds of C-4, 250 pounds of sheet explosives, 20,000 feet of detonator cord and 2,500 blasting caps.
Investigators have said there was no evidence to suggest a link to terrorism.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Four men, including two brothers, were taken into custody Friday by federal authorities in connection with the theft of 400 pounds of explosives from a storage depot southwest of Albuquerque.
The explosives were reported stolen Sunday from Cherry Engineering's storage depot eight miles southwest of New Mexico's largest city. Federal authorities have said it was enough to flatten a large building.
The men, whose names were not immediately released, all face federal charges, including possession of stolen explosives.
Three of the arrests were made in Bloomfield, in the northwest corner of the state, and the other was made in Ignacio, Colo., said Tom Mangan, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Federal authorities were processing a crime scene in a remote area of New Mexico, but Mangan did not release any details.
Stolen were 150 pounds of C-4, 250 pounds of sheet explosives, 20,000 feet of detonator cord and 2,500 blasting caps.
Investigators have said there was no evidence to suggest a link to terrorism.
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O Town
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Well good! Hopefully they got the right guys, and the explosives are recovered. Now this storage Depot needs to take some security measures to make sure this doesn't happen again. You would of thought after the first robbery they would have done something. Gesh, this is not something to take lightly.
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texasweatherwatcher
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