On July 20 at approximately 5:30 am local time, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station observed a pickup truck near the Rio Grande in Fronton. The vehicle was spotted parking near a new wall construction site. Several individuals were seen loading items onto the back of the truck and then proceeded toward Highway 83.
The vehicle turned east and began traveling toward Roma, Texas. Agents initiated a traffic stop on a yellow and black Ford F-250.
The suspect refused to stop. The driver later came to an abrupt stop and fled on foot south on Lincoln Avenue and in the direction of the border. This common tactic is known as a “bailout.”
Agents observed the driver jump into the Rio Grande and swim to Mexico. Back at the F-250, agents apprehended five people who were observed loading the truck. All were found to be in the United States illegally, according to law enforcement sources.
The vehicle was reportedly registered to CMF Leasing in Fort Worth, Texas. Identifying decals on the truck promoted Southwest Valley Constructors (SWVC), a firm holding a contract to build a border wall system.
The investigation also found that the driver was identified as a resident of Roma who worked for SWVC, according to Border Patrol agents.
Law enforcement sources also revealed to Breitbart Texas that the driver has a history for prior smuggling activity—details that would have been visible on a criminal background check.
On May 28, 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), awarded a contract to construct approximately three miles of new bollard wall system on federally owned land within the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
The contract was awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. for $42,860,000. Kiewit also has an office at the same address in Fort Worth where the F-250 is apparently registered.
Construction began in late 2019. This project included 18-30-foot-tall steel bollards, in addition to road construction, detection technology, and lighting installation.
