US Port Official tells ABC News Smuggled Nuclear Devices Discovered in Past

by Terrence Aym

A San Diego Port Authority official has made a shocking admission: nuclear devices have been discovered being smuggled into the United States.

During a stunning video interview, Al Hallor, the assistant port director and an officer with Customs and Border Protection told a San Diego ABC News crew that authorities in the past have intercepted a nuclear weapon or other weapons of "mass effect" during the past year.

Transcript from the interview by San Diego ABC News 10 reporter Mitch Blachor:

Blacher: “So, specifically, you’re looking for the dirty bomb? You’re looking for the nuclear device?”

Hallor: “Correct. Weapons of mass effect,”

Blacher: "You ever found one?”

Hallor: ”Not at this location..."

Blacher: “But they have found them?” asked Blacher.

Hallor: ”Yes."

Soon after the interview, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department did their best to play down the admission by Hallor. But private intelligence analysts believe Hallor, a bit nervous during the interview, spilled the beans on an important Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secret.

Terrorists have already tried to smuggle nuclear devices into the United States.

Weeks ago new concerns were raised by some of Julian Assange's WikiLeaks documents leaked to the UK press. The documents—a series of cables—made public that Islamic terror groups were plotting a nuclear attack that would be bigger than the 911 attacks against New York City and Washington, D.C.

In follow up questions, Blacher received some eye-opening admissions.

Blacher: "Do you ever find things that are dangerous like a chemical agent or a weaponized device?"

Hallor: "At the airport, seaport, at our port of entry we have not this past fiscal year [2011], but our partner agencies have found those things."

As the interview progressed into the revelation that WMDs and at least one nuclear device has been intercepted by U.S. authorities, the Port Authority public affairs officer tried desperately to intervene to stop the interview and shut Hallor up.

As the discussion between Mitch Blacher and Al Hallor progressed more information about attempts to breach U.S. security and place WMDs into the hands of terrorists already in the country were being brought to light. Finally, the public affairs officer stops the interview.

Blacher: "So, specifically, you're looking for the dirty bomb? You're looking for the nuclear device?’

Hallor: "Correct. Weapons of mass effect."

Blacher: "You ever found one?"

Hallor: ‘Not at this location."

Blacher: "But they have found them?"

Hallor: "Yes."

Blacher: "You never found one in San Diego though?"

Hallor: "I would say at the port of San Diego we have not."

Blacher: "Have you found one in San Diego?

As Hallor was about to answer that question the interview was abruptly terminated. The public affairs officer would not let it continue.

Asked by ABC about Hallor's credibility, a former Secret Service agent told the TV news station that Hallor appeared very credible. "This person was, I believe, knowledgeable, has a very important position with the port and the government and as such has that knowledge."

Other government officials and agencies rushed to jump aboard the damage control wagon.

The DHS responded to an inquiry by ABC News and asserted that Hallor was "just nervous" in front of the camera and simply "misspoke."

When pressed directly by ABC about WMDs ever having been intercepted, the DHS spokesman refused to answer.

On the heels of the interview with the stonewalling DHS man, the San Diego Customs and Border Protection department released a terse written statement of full denial. It claimed it knew of no attempts to smuggle nuclear devices or materials into the U.S.

The interview is interesting on several levels.

First, no agency has denied the implication that a terrorist network of cells exists throughout the U.S. waiting for WMD materials to reach them

Second, Hallor alludes to several attempts, but none directly tied to the San Diego Port Authority.

Finally, with the porous borders and under-equipped port inspections of cargo ships docking at West Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and East Coast ports nuclear materials might slip past inspection points at any time.

Plus, there is no guarantee that fissionable material—or even an explosive device-has not already made it into the country.

In the latter case, a terrorist cell would only be waiting for the official go-ahead to put their deadly attack plan into motion.