An unbelievable case of illicit trafficking in nuclear materials is shaking the US, raising grave questions about the effectiveness of international security controls. A 44-year-old American admitted that he illegally imported plutonium from Russia and sold it to dozens of customers online! The case takes on even greater dimensions due to questions regarding the origin of the material, the method of its transport, and the circumstances under which such a strictly controlled radioactive element ended up in the hands of a private individual.
The case of Jacob D. Miller, a resident of Massachusetts, is at the epicenter of American judicial interest following his guilty plea for illegal importation of nuclear material and other serious offenses.
On October 5, 2026, the US Department of Justice announced that the 44-year-old admitted he imported plutonium from Russia and subsequently distributed it to customers inside and outside the US.
According to the official announcement, approximately 67 customers purchased plutonium from Miller between December 2020 and March 2025.
An even more alarming element is that shipments were carried out through the US Postal Service, even though the mailing of this specific hazardous material was strictly prohibited.
Plutonium with a «click»! The online shop that opened Pandora's box
Jacob D. Miller had created an online business under the name Collect The Periodic Table, through which he sold samples of chemical elements.
The business operated from his residence in Massachusetts, while for sales he utilized both his own website and the online platform Bonanza.
Among the products he offered were plutonium and thallium, two materials with very different properties, but serious risks to human health.
American justice authorities state that Miller sold plutonium to approximately 67 customers, while from October 2017 to April 2025 he also supplied thallium to approximately 71 buyers.
The fact that transactions were conducted through an online business raised intense concern over the capability to monitor the trafficking of hazardous substances.
From Russia to the US: How did the radioactive cargo cross the border?
The most contentious element of the case concerns the origin of the plutonium.
US prosecutorial authorities explicitly state that Miller imported the material from Russia and arranged for it to be mailed to his residence.
However, the public announcement does not describe in detail the supply chain, the original holder of the material, or the manner in which it bypassed inspection procedures.
In the Russian report by Izvestia, reservations are raised regarding whether such a transfer could have been carried out, given the strict restrictions in place for nuclear materials.
The lack of public technical details, however, does not in itself refute the official American announcement and the guilty plea of Miller.
The critical question is now how the illegal importation was carried out and whether there were vulnerabilities or breaches in regulatory control mechanisms.
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