Alert: Large Explosive Theft In New Mexico

A frightening theft has occurred at the Cherry Engineering site in New Mexico. On Sunday, December 20th, someone, using a blowtorch, got through steel walls and made off with 250 pounds of C4 plastic, 500 pounds of sheet explosive and 2500 detonators, along with 25,000 feet of cords. If not found, the possibility many lives are going to be lost is huge.

This theft raises some serious questions about why this site had no guards, and no video surveillance. The site is owned by Chris Cherry a scientist working for Sandia National Labs. The explosives were housed in trailers, while the detonators were in bunkers. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were after and exactly where to find it. To give you an idea of the potential destruction from this amount of plastic explosive, remember Oklahoma City. This is enough to take down a very large building, or scattered strategic smaller buildings in different locales.

Clearly this was preventable. It angers me that we can debate the wisdom of a fence to secure borders or filibuster our Patriot Act, yet when all is said and done, when faced with such monumental stupidity and carelessness by our own people, it all becomes moot. We truly are our own worst enemy. This grade of explosive is not a normal criminal boost theft or street purchase. It was stolen by a person or persons who intend on either making a profit dealing it to our enemies, or someone sick and twisted, with his own agenda. Either way, this materiel must be located and quickly.

ATF and the FBI are urging anyone with solid information to call it in. This is the largest theft of weapons grade explosives in the U.S. in recent history. To quote the Free New Mexico paper"

The theft prompted state officials on Monday to issue a warning to state cabinet secretaries, agency heads and building managers to place all public buildings throughout the state on security alert "until further notice."

According to sources at the paper, this was an ATF certified site, inspected weekly, and had never been found to be non-compliant. Sorry, in this writers opinion, a site containing this amount of any weapons grade materiel, should have been fenced, and equipped with guards and video surveillance. Because it wasn't, we are now faced with some frightening possibilities.

Even though we are in the midst of holiday shopping and preparations, all Americans need to be very aware. Just because it was stolen in New Mexico, doesn't mean it's not somewhere else in our country. Be vigilant and don't be afraid to report anything near large Federal State or any public building to authorities. Someone out there knows something, and I pray they have the courage to come forward and let authorities do their job, and hopefully save lives, including their own.

150 pounds of explosives missing in Albuquerque
Authorities asked the public for help Monday after 150 pounds of commercial plastic explosives turned up missing