Newly installed panels of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, where the concrete had not had time to set, fell over in high winds on Jan. 29, landing on trees on the Mexican side of the border.
The area is part of an ongoing construction project to improve existing sections of the wall.
Agent Carlos Pitones of the Customs and Border Protection sector in El Centro, California, told CNN that the sections that gave way had recently been set in a new concrete foundation in Calexico, California. The concrete had not yet cured, according to Pitones, and the wall panels were unable to withstand the windy conditions.
The National Weather Service reports that winds in the area gusted as high as 37 mph Wednesday. Video from KYMA shows the metal panels leaning against trees adjacent to a Mexicali, Mexico, street as the wind whips up dirt from the construction site on the other side of the border.
“We are grateful there was no property damage or injuries,” said Pitones.
Customs and Border Protection says local Mexicali officials diverted traffic from the area of the accident, and the agency is working with the Mexican government on the next steps to right the wall. Pitones said it is not currently known how long the construction work in the area will need to be suspended in order to allow for cleanup.
President Donald Trump has faced legal and logistical challenges in moving forward with the border wall.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump made a promise that he would construct a barrier along the Southern Border. While in office, the president said he would build 450 miles of the wall by 2021.
Trump declared a national emergency along the southern border in February 2019. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper authorized moving the $3.6 billion in military funds to construction projects along the border in September 2019. Customs and Border Patrol said the money will be used to build up to 175 miles of border wall.
Earlier this month, the administration announced that the wall had reached the 100-mile mark, which includes replacing barriers with newer, enhanced designs, and around half a mile construction in the Rio Grande Valley where no wall previously existed.
The White House continues construction on the U.S.-Mexico border with the wall, according to a former administration official, as Trump continues to deliver on his campaign promise.
The CNN Wire and Epoch Times reporter Janita Kan contributed to this report
