'Armed Mexican guards were deliberately brought across the border to GUARD the wall that was being built to keep them out' say whistle-blowers who worked for construction companies
Construction firms tasked with building President Trump's border wall with Mexico are said to have illegally brought in Mexican guards to protect the building sites.
Whistleblowers who are believed to be a former deputy sheriff in San Diego County and a former FBI special agent providing security for the wall construction, have detailed the claims in court documents unsealed by a federal judge on Friday.
The documents suggest armed Mexican security teams were smuggled into the United States and that at one point an illegal dirt road was built to enable the guards to reach the site faster through the Mexican desert.
Whistle-blowers have alleged two construction firms involved in the building of the U.S. border wall with Mexico used Mexican security guards in the project
Workers from the Ultimate Concrete construction company speed up their task to finish the metal wall ordered by US President Donald J. Trump, on the border with New Mexico
The whistle-blower allegations are all contained in court documents files with a federal judge
The documents contain some grainy photographs of alleged Mexican security guards working at the wall
Two firms, Ultimate Concrete and Sullivan Land Services Co. are said to have been involved in the practice.
The workers who were being hired, ultimately by the U.S. Government, were not vetted beforehand and then proceeded to overcharge for building costs.
The firm, Sullivan Land Services, which also contracted out work to Ultimate Concrete was paid $1.4 billion by the U.S. government for work on multiple parts of the border.
Ultimate Concrete is then alleged to have hire armed Mexicans and bring them across the border, despite being involved in creating a wall designed to prevent such crossings.
In a detailed court filing it is claimed two firms, Ultimate Concrete and Sullivan Land Services Co. were both involved in the illegal practice of using Mexican security guards
The firms even built dirt roads on the Mexican side of the wall in order to make it easier to get the guards to work
The documents, as seen by the New York Times say one building firm specifically created a dirt road in order to reach illegal border crossing sites in San Diego.
Any evidence of building was blocked by clever use of construction vehicles to block surveillance cameras.
Ultimate Concrete 'constructed a dirt road that would allow access from the Mexican side of the border into the United States,' the whistle-blowers said in the complaint.
'This U.C.-constructed road was apparently the route by which the armed Mexican nationals were unlawfully crossing into the United States.'
Nevertheless, a supervisor at the Army Corps of Engineers who has not been named, ultimately approved the work.
It's also alleged that the firms were creative with their invoicing and increased the costs of construction despite being awarded a $1.4 billion contract
It is then claimed that reports that were submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers deliberately omitted information that would have contained detail information about the Mexican security guards.
Border Patrol agents eventually raised concerns and when one of the whistle-blowers discussed their concerns with a project manager from SLS, the company insisted that such work had been approved.
'What are you going to do about it?' the whistle-blower was asked.
Revelations Mexican security guards were employed at the wall building came to a head after a shooting along the border.
One the Mexican guards is said to have shot another Mexican who was trying to cross the border to steal property.
When one of the whistle-blowers informed the Army Corp of Engineers they were told to 'stand down'
A report by one of the whistle-blowers was sent to the Army Corps, but the details varied wildly from an official report of the incident sent by Ultimate Concrete.
It led to an admission from the bosses of the contracting firms that they were aware they were 'paying for the services of the Mexican guards.'
The complaint details how Ultimate Concrete are alleged to have submitted fraudulent invoices to the federal government over the overall costs of the construction.
'If they were using a forklift, they would use it only sporadically throughout the day but charge the government for fuel, in sum and substance, 'as if it was running all the time,' the complaint said.
After one of the whistle-blowers went to an Army Corps supervisor with their complaints about the company, they were simply told to 'stand down'.
Liz Rogers, a spokeswoman for Sullivan Land Services Co, said in a statement that the company did not comment on litigation.
Jesse Guzman, the president of Ultimate Concrete, said told The Times he was not aware of the complaint and dismissed the allegations.
'Everybody can allege whatever they want to, and that does not make it correct or make it the truth,' he said and claimed that the whistle-blowers were two security officers angry that 'something didn't go their way.'
Despite the president's promise that the wall would be 'impenetrable' the border has is constantly breached by migrants with the most recent attempt taking place in September in Tucson, Arizona (file photo)
A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Greg Davis, said the agency did not comment on litigation. 'Lack of comment should not be construed as agreement or stipulation with any of the allegations,' he said.
Despite the president's promise that the wall would be 'impenetrable' the border has is constantly breached by migrants with the most recent attempt taking place in September in Tucson, Arizona.
A Freedom of Information request reveals further 320 breaches between October 2019 and March 2020 in San Diego; Tucson; El Centro, California and Yuma, Arizona.
A Freedom of Information request reveals further 320 breaches between October 2019 and March 2020 in San Diego; Tucson; El Centro, California and Yuma, Arizona
