A highly radioactive capsule was safely recovered from shallow ground in Midland County after a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper detected it during a routine patrol last week.
On Friday, July 24, a DPS corporal assigned to the Radiological/Nuclear Threat Detection Unit received an alarm from the radiation detector on his cruiser near South County Road 1210 outside Midland. Additional equipment confirmed the source was underground. The following day, a multi-agency team excavated the area and recovered a sealed capsule buried about 6 to 8 inches deep.
The item was identified as a 100-millicurie Cesium-137 sealed radioactive source manufactured in April 1967. Cesium-137 has a half-life of roughly 30 years, meaning the capsule is now about half as radioactive as when it was produced. Because it was a sealed source, the material was contained and did not disperse into the surrounding soil or air.
NEW: Over the weekend, DPS’ Radiological/Nuclear Threat Detection (Rad/Nuc) Unit coordinated the safe recovery of a Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive source in Midland Co. ☢️🚨
— Texas DPS (@TxDPS) July 29, 2026
While on routine patrol, a DPS Rad/Nuc Unit Corporal received an alarm from his vehicle-mounted… pic.twitter.com/za4VKUY1tk
Responding agencies included the DPS radiation unit, the FBI, the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Midland Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team, Midland Health Department, Midland Emergency Management and Chevron security personnel. Officials established safety zones, monitored radiation levels throughout the operation and rotated personnel according to established protocols.
DPS reported that the recovery was completed without injuries, personnel contamination or any threat to the public. Ownership of the capsule and how it came to be buried remain unclear. Similar sealed sources are commonly used in industrial gauging equipment in the oil and gas industry.
The successful recovery underscores the specialized work of the DPS Radiological/Nuclear Threat Detection Unit, which partners with local, state and federal agencies to locate and secure radioactive material that is outside regulatory control.
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