In Miami, FL, yesterday local police recovered an empty stolen box trailer whose manifest included approximately 2,000 lbs. of caustic chemicals and corrosive liquids. The trailer was found abandoned and painted black when a passerby reported it on the side of the road near a residential area.
The chemicals are not considered hazardous or of any significant value, according to Detective Juan DelCastillo of Miami-Dade Police Dept.’s media relations bureau.
The trailer was stolen from the side of the Florida Turnpike when the driver parked and unhitched the trailer, and delivered another trailer to Pembroke Pines. When he returned for the trailer, he found it had been stolen.
“To my knowledge, you can’t make explosives out of these chemicals,” said DelCastillo. “We don’t know if the individuals [who stole the trailer] knew what was inside— or even then they may not have known if it has any monetary value.”
DelCastillo said there could be a variety of reasons why the trailer was painted black but noted, “they [the thieves] might have repainted before unloading just to avoid being spotted.”
The theft remains under investigation by the Cargo Theft Task Force— a coordination of local agencies that tracks cargo thefts.
