Posted on 05/16/2002 5:42:32 PM PDT by Dallas
MEXICO CITY --
Mexican police found a stolen truck on Thursday that had been carrying 10 tons of sodium cyanide, but most of the deadly chemicals were missing.
Authorities cordoned off the area around where the truck was discovered, abandoned along a highway in Zacatlan, about 120 miles northwest of Mexico City in central Puebla state.
Only about half a ton of the cyanide, contained in barrels, was still inside the truck and investigators were searching for the remainder, police said.
One barrel had been opened, sparking concerns of a health hazard. But officials found no evidence of contamination, said Frederico Perez, director of police in neighboring Hidalgo state.
No one has been arrested in connection with the truck robbery, which took place last Friday. Police were seeking information about three armed men who authorities believe stole the vehicle based on witness accounts, Perez said.
Sodium cyanide is used in gold and silver mining. If inhaled or ingested, it attacks the nervous system and can cause a person to suffocate within minutes.
Perez said it was extremely unlikely the chemical was stolen for a terrorist attack.
"The possibility of terrorism is minimal," he said. "Knowing how these robberies work, it's likely that the robbers didn't even know what was inside. They also probably wouldn't know how to use those chemicals."
Truck robberies are common in Mexico, particularly in the region just north of the capital, Mexico City.
The truck had left from Queretaro, a colonial city 115 miles north of Mexico City, and was headed to Pachuca, capital of Hidalgo state, about 30 miles northeast of the capital.
Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press
Since it would only take a small amount, transporting the powder would be relatively easy and would not be noticeable. It wouldn't be too hard to smuggle into the Country if 90% of the trucks are not even searched.
Yes, there is.
Tons of a chemical that can be used as a weapon have gone missing.
Terrorist manuals detail procedures for using this chemical in attacks.
We don't know who stole it.
Correct threat assessment involves capability and ignores intent. Someone out there is capable of killing yet more thousands of Americans using the missing chemicals. That is a valid threat.
/john
Each ton represents 1000 x 16oz jars of Cyanide. Ten tons is 10,000 x 16oz jars of the substance. It only takes a small amont of Cyanide to be lethal. Each 16oz jar is enough to kill hundreds of not thousands of people. I'm not sure how much Jim Jones had access to, but over 700 people died from Cyanide poisening.
The United States isn't the only target. I'm sure there are a number of terrorist states that would love to get their hands on the stuff. Imagine what 200 jars would do in the hands of the PLO. Any large restaurant in Israel would be the target. One unsuspecting employee could dump it in the potatoes or beans that accompanies each meal. Most of the patrons would drop dead on the spot.
This stuff isn't something to be passed off lightly. It's just as effective as a terrorist bomb. And it's out there in our neck of the woods.
If whoever took those chemicals wants them in the US, they are most likely already here --days ago. The border is far from secure, they could bring it very easily with a shipment of cocaine ---and Mexican drug cartel types wouldn't hesitate for one moment to do that for someone.
The entire community surrounding 223 Nepperhan Avenue and Elm Street has been closed.
At least two people are on life support. Reports say several hundred people have been quarantined.
Reports suggest that cyanide gas may be responsible.
One barrel had been opened, sparking concerns of a health hazard. But officials found no evidence of contamination, said Frederico Perez, director of police in neighboring Hidalgo state.
Mexican police found a stolen truck on Thursday that had been carrying 10 tons of sodium cyanide, but most of the deadly chemicals were missing.
Since one of the barrels was OPEN, it seems reasonable that the theives KNOW what was in the barrels! Why steal something, 91/2 tons of something that you have no use for.
Probably how a lot of the illegals get here.
No, just dump it in the Colorado River, and just wait for absolutely nothing to happen...it gets diluted out by that much water.
Cyanide isn't plutonium, folks, and it's actually suprisingly difficult to get poisonous substances together in a form with which to kill a lot of people. Those Aum cultists in Japan had a massive budget and a roster of scientists and even their subway nerve gas attack only killed a handful of people.
Cyanide is pretty toxic, but not *that* toxic.
Minimum lethal dose for humans is about 0.5 grams. "A couple of pounds" works out to about 1800 fatal doses, max. And that's only if *all* of the two pounds of cyanide is consumed, *optimally* (i.e., none is "wasted" in sub-lethal doses just making some people sick, and no one "wastes" any by consuming more than their "share").
1800 people is not a "whole city" by a long shot, nor is the above "optimum" death count even *close* to what would likely happen. Most of the cyanide would be left in the reservoir after the contamination was discovered and the water supply was shut down, a lot wouldn't be drunk but instead would end up in water used to water people's lawns, go down the shower/toilet drain, etc. etc. etc.
I'd be surprised if "two pounds" dumped in a canal would even result in as many as ten deaths.
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