Special Alert: Hijacked rig in Mexico was carrying cyanide

May 15, 2002
A tractor-trailer rig hauling 100 55-gallon drums of cyanide reportedly was hijacked in Mexico on May 12, according to a special alert from the Federal

A tractor-trailer rig hauling 100 55-gallon drums of cyanide reportedly was hijacked in Mexico on May 12, according to a special alert from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The hijacking was confirmed by authorities in Mexico and Texas.

Three unidentified gunmen hijacked the rig on Highway 85 north of Mexico City. There is no information at this time regarding the individuals who perpetrated the crime, their objectives, where the truck and cargo are, or where the cargo may be destined.

The FBI also has very little descriptive information on the tractor, trailer, and cargo. The tractor was described as a 2002 white Kenworth conventional displaying Mexico tag 980CS6.

FBI officials are asking truck drivers to keep a lookout for suspicious activity relating to the hijacked rig. Any information regarding the hijacking and the cyanide cargo should be reported to Special Agent Jim Woodie at the FBI office in Little Rock AR. The phone number is 501-228-8445.

About the Author

Charles Wilson

Charles E. Wilson has spent 20 years covering the tank truck, tank container, and storage terminal industries throughout North, South, and Central America. He has been editor of Bulk Transporter since 1989. Prior to that, Wilson was managing editor of Bulk Transporter and Refrigerated Transporter and associate editor of Trailer/Body Builders. Before joining the three publications in Houston TX, he wrote for various food industry trade publications in other parts of the country. Wilson has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and served three years in the U.S. Army.