How One of America’s Most Secure Nuclear Labs Ended Up Facing Nearly Two Dozen Security Breaches

America’s most intensely protected military secrets may be in peril after multiple security breaches at one of the nation’s most iconic nuclear test and development sites.

An exhaustive National ENQUIRER investigation has uncovered evidence from high-placed military sources, which identifies alarming lapses at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that could potentially endanger U.S. national security.

“Los Alamos represents the crown jewel of our nation’s military research and development infrastructure for nuclear weapons, satellites and space,” says retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, who adds that if its secrets fall into the hands of America’s enemies, the results could be disastrous.

The shadowy New Mexico facility, which opened in 1943, has housed top secret nuclear weapons development since the height of World War II. It was there that the infamous Manhattan Project atomic bombs that devastated Japan and ended World War II were created. Today, it’s under the supervision of the Department of Energy.

The 35-square-mile compound houses research facilities that host cutting-edge development on everything from supercomputers to space exploration and renewable energy — as well as continuing its legacy of designing America’s nuclear weapons.

Sources say the installation is protected by the tightest security measures and its data is minutely compartmentalized with access granted only through a tightly regulated tiered system. Digitally equipped badges must be used to access restricted areas, and security cameras and armed guards cover every inch of the facility.

Despite these rigorous measures, The ENQUIRER can reveal there have been nearly two dozen breaches at the facility between 2010 and 2022, according to official incident reports exclusively obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the Department of Energy.

Some of the incidents involved motorists who said they got lost and wound up on LANL property or a hiker who chased their wandering dog onto federally restricted grounds.

But other security reports obtained by The ENQUIRER show disturbing lapses involving restricted areas.

On Jan. 10, 2020, a driver was observed suspiciously pulling up to one of the ultra-secret compound’s buildings. When confronted by security, the individual said he was there to pick up an LANL employee — as he’d been doing for the previous 10 years without issue.

And in April 2015, an intruder shockingly penetrated LANL grounds by traversing a densely wooded area and three canyons to the west of the facility before he was stopped and arrested for trespassing.

In a third disturbing incident, in March 2014, a couple claiming to be tourists from Pacifica, Calif., was discovered taking photos of restricted grounds and was swarmed by security.

Then, in May 2021, an LANL employee caught a colleague entering a restricted area — even though their digital badge supposedly did not grant them access to that part of the facility.

The shocking breaches follow The ENQUIRER’s 2024 report that revealed Chinese nationals had accessed U.S. military bases and other sensitive sites nearly 100 times in recent years, mostly while claiming to be tourists.

In one case, a group had tried to push past guards onto the grounds of Alaska’s Fort Wainwright, claiming they had a reservation at a hotel on the base. In another, Chinese nationals were caught taking photos of a sensitive intelligence post in Key West, Fla.

Experts say the breaches represent an obvious risk to our national security.

“We know our enemies will stop at nothing to gain an advantage over the U.S. Armed Forces,” Vallely tells The ENQUIRER. “Certainly, the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] has infiltrated our most sensitive installations over recent years, and I know they and the Russians would love to get their hands on the data secured at Los Alamos,” he adds.

“These so-called tourists could be scouting targets and weaknesses in America’s military and civilian infrastructure.

“We need to tighten security at Los Alamos, and we need to do it now!”