Border wall construction begins in Calexico

Repairs are underway for the Calexico border wall. The project involves the replacement of a 2.25-mile section of the current wall with a new 30-foot bollard style barrier. The original wall was erected in the 1990s using recycled scraps of metal and landing mat.

“Although the existing wall has proven effective at deterring unlawful cross-border activity, smuggling organizations damaged and breached this outdated version of a border wall several hundred times during the last two years, resulting in costly repairs,” reads the U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.

Read: The I-Team examines security along the Calexico border

The newly constructed expanse will reach from Calexico West Port of Entry on the east end past the Gran Plaza Outlets on the west.

El Centro Sector Border Patrol, the unit responsible for security along the Calexico barrier, have seized 5,554 pounds of marijuana, 482 pounds of cocaine, 1,526 pounds of methamphetamine, and 2,521 ounces of heroin during the 2017 fiscal year.

El Centro Sector has also apprehended 18,633 undocumented immigrants during the 2017 fiscal year.