TUCSON, Ariz. — The federal government spent over $700,000 to repair part of a steel border fence that was knocked down by debris from a rainstorm last summer.
Repairs on the 60 feet of rebar-reinforced fencing in Nogales, Arizona, were completed in December, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection released the cost of the repairs this month after a request by The Associated Press.
Agents discovered the downed fence in July after heavy rain in Nogales, Mexico, caused debris to build up against the fence, toppling it. The fence stood between 18 and 26 feet high and extended at least 7 feet underground. It was built in 2011.
The cost to clean up and repair the fence was $730,000. Workers from KBR, a contracting company based in Texas, had to wait several weeks to begin repairs because the soil was wet from ongoing rains, Border Patrol spokeswoman Nicole Ballistrea said last year.