OSHA Cites Three Subcontractors After Fatal Forklift Accident at Texas ICE Detention Site
According to an Associated Press report via ISHN, OSHA cited three subcontractors for safety violations connected to the death of a worker at a federal immigration detention construction site in El Paso, Texas. The worker, Hector Gonzalez, 38, was killed on July 21, 2025, when he was crushed by falling materials during construction of Camp East Montana.
What Happened
OSHA’s investigation, highlighted in a report from watchdog group Public Citizen, resulted in citations issued in January against subcontractors Base International, JMJ Production Services, and Fulfillment Personnel Services. Base International, which employed Gonzalez, is owned by Florida businessman Nathan Albers. OSHA found that Base International exposed employees to struck-by hazards from an unstable, elevated load of stacked composite beams on a forklift during an unloading operation. JMJ Production Services and Fulfillment Personnel Services were cited for the same powered industrial truck standard violation, and additionally for failing to ensure employees were certified to operate powered industrial trucks on the site.
What It Means for Subcontractors
Forklift and powered industrial truck operations remain a serious compliance exposure for field crews, and this case is a direct reminder of the consequences. Practical takeaways for subcontractors:
- OSHA’s powered industrial truck standards apply to every subcontractor on a site, not just the prime contractor. All three firms here faced citations regardless of their role.
- Load stability during forklift operations is a specific OSHA focus. Stacking materials on forks and moving or unloading without securing the load is a citable struck-by hazard.
- Operator certification is not optional. OSHA cited two of the three subcontractors specifically for failing to verify that employees were certified to operate powered industrial trucks. Audit your crew certifications before work begins.
- Document everything. If your workers operate forklifts or material handlers on any job site, maintain current certification records and conduct pre-operation load assessments.
