A fatal forklift accident during construction of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement tent detention center at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, has resulted in an unresolved OSHA citation that could advance to a formal hearing if the subpoenaed employer and federal regulators fail to reach an agreement.
Hector Gonzalez, 38, an employee of Base International Inc., died July 21, 2025, after being struck by falling composite beams while unloading materials from a forklift at the ICE facility known as Camp East Montana, according to OSHA records and a April 13 report from the watchdog group Public Citizen. The death came three days after the U.S. military awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to Acquisition Logistics LLC to build and operate the facility. The facility opened the following month and eventually became ICE’s largest detention center, holding more than 3,000 people at times.
OSHA investigated the death and in January issued “serious” citations against three subcontractors for violations of motorized industrial truck safety standards, citing shock hazards from unstable elevated loads and failures to train and certify forklift operators, according to the agency’s public database.
Base International received a “serious” violation for exposing workers to shock hazards from an unstable load. OSHA proposed a penalty of $11,585. The company contested the subpoena on February 13, 2026, and the case remains open.
“Base International is appealing the ruling because the company did not commit wrongdoing,” said spokesman Tom McNicholas. he told the Associated Press.
Austin, Texas-based JMJ Production Services and Mobile, Alabama-based Fulfillment Personnel Services received two “serious” violations: the affected risk citation and a separate violation for failing to certify operator training and evaluation. Both companies reached informal settlements with OSHA on February 18, 2026, each paying a reduced penalty of $15,000. These cases are now closed.
Acquisition Logistics LLC, the prime contractor at the time and a company with no prior experience operating a detention center, was listed on the inspection but did not receive subpoenas; that file was closed in January 2026, OSHA records show. ICE later replaced Acquisition Logistics as prime contractor in March, awarding a no-bid contract to Amentum Services, according to the Morning Call.
If Base International and OSHA do not reach an agreement, the case will advance to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, where an administrative law judge will schedule a hearing to evaluate the evidence, testimony and validity of the subpoena. No hearing date has been set. OSHA has been contacted for an update and has not yet heard back.
