Federal regulators have cited three subcontractors after a construction worker was crushed to death while building Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss last summer, turning up the pressure on a tented ICE facility that has drawn fierce local scrutiny since it opened in 2025. The July 21, 2025, accident killed 38-year-old Hector Gonzalez and triggered an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation that wrapped up with fresh penalties this year.
According to Spectrum News, OSHA in January cited Base International, JMJ Production Services and Fulfillment Personnel Services for violations tied to powered industrial trucks and unloading operations at the Camp East Montana site. The agency declined to cite the prime contractor, Acquisition Logistics, and instead focused on the three subcontractors. OSHA labeled the violations "serious," a designation used when officials find a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result.
OSHA findings and the fatal accident
A report by Public Citizen says OSHA records show Base International exposed workers to struck-by hazards when an unstable elevated load of stacked composite beams was moved with a forklift. That unsafe unloading operation is linked to the July 21, 2025 incident that crushed Gonzalez, the group notes. Public Citizen adds that the other two firms were cited for failing to verify that equipment operators were properly trained and certified.
Settlements, penalties and appeals
As The Associated Press reports, JMJ Production Services and Fulfillment Personnel Services agreed in February to pay reduced penalties of $15,000 each as part of informal settlements with OSHA. Base International is contesting its citation. OSHA has proposed an $11,585 penalty, and the case could go before an administrative law judge if the company and the agency do not reach a deal. Company representatives told reporters they dispute any wrongdoing.
Public Citizen's analysis also highlights ownership ties. The group identifies Base International as linked to Florida businessman Nathan Albers and says he donated more than $150,000 to Republican campaigns in 2025. The report sets the OSHA findings in the context of fast-moving, high-dollar government contracts that critics say sometimes land in the hands of firms with thin performance records.
Camp East Montana's bigger picture
A separate inspection of Camp East Montana found dozens of breaches of national detention standards after the site opened in August 2025, and the facility has been dogged by reports of inadequate medical care and multiple in-custody deaths. Scripps News reviewed an ICE Office of Detention Oversight report that logged 49 violations and detailed problems with use-of-force reporting, medical response, and recordkeeping. Amid mounting criticism, DHS moved in March to replace Acquisition Logistics with Amentum as the prime contractor.
Public Citizen researcher Douglas Pasternak warned that frequent contractor changes and gaps in oversight could leave serious risks unaddressed. "And things are not likely to improve," he told The Associated Press. His report calls for tougher vetting and ongoing scrutiny of companies doing work on the camp.
For El Paso, the OSHA citations reopen long-simmering questions about safety and accountability at a site that grew into the nation's largest ICE camp in a matter of months. Local advocates and some officials argue that the relatively modest fines highlight the limits of current enforcement, and they plan to press federal agencies for stronger oversight of both worker protections and the treatment of people held inside the facility.
