US Repatriates Cobalt-60 From Guatemala Over Dirty Bomb Risk

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 27

U.S. officials moved a highly radioactive cobalt-60 source from a disused cancer-treatment machine in Guatemala to secure storage in the United States, the NNSA said Thursday.
The operation began in May because the U.S.-origin material could have been stolen and used in a radiological weapon, or "dirty bomb," according to the agency.
Los Alamos specialists removed and packaged the source, while Guatemala's energy ministry and radioactive-waste center handled logistics, transport support and physical security; DTRA then carried it back to the U.S.
The removal fits a broader U.S. push to keep chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials away from terrorists, a priority highlighted in the Trump administration's 2026 counterterrorism strategy.