About 20 armed and masked federal agents entered the Tohono O’odham Nation early Tuesday morning to prepare for border wall construction, according to a press release issued by tribal leadership — a move the Nation says violates tribal law.
The action comes after the Nation posted “No Trespassing” signs on its land and escorted several developers off the property in recent weeks.
The tribe said the Department of Homeland Security also deployed a Border Patrol Tactical Unit, several Bureau of Indian Affairs officers and a tethered surveillance balloon as contractors maneuvering drill trucks conducted pre-construction activities on three separate locations. The federal government also established a vehicle blockade in the area, blocking Tohono O’odham police officers from citing or removing the contractors, the tribe said.
Just south of the border, meanwhile, Mexican law enforcement agents are working in coordination with the DHS to “protect the area from the southern side while contractors are doing work,” Tohono O’odham leadership said.
The press release, issued Tuesday evening, did not specify where the federal agents were operating within the Nation.
“We want to stress the importance of the safety and wellbeing of our tribal citizens. We encourage all Tohono O'odham on both sides of the border to remain vigilant and prioritize their personal safety,” the statement added.
In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott appeared to double down on the border wall initiative, known as the Tucson 5 Project.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are securing the border and giving our agents the tools and support they need to protect the American people,” he said.
Scott did not specifically confirm the use of armed agents, and a CBP spokesperson did not immediately respond to follow-up questions from AZPM about the Tohono O’odham Nation’s account.
The Tohono O’odham Nation’s statement said it had posted drone footage of the federal government entering tribal land on its website, though it was unclear where members of the public could find the footage. A tribal spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions from AZPM seeking the video.
The grassroots group Indivisible Tohono, however, circulated footage Wednesday morning showing a slew of vehicles driving onto the land — including a steady stream of white-and-green Border Patrol trucks and a cluster of Mexican federal police cars, the latter sitting just south of the vehicle barrier that currently cuts across the Nation.
‘Stop this wall from being built’##
The action marks an escalation in the Trump administration’s push for a 62-mile border wall that would cut through tribal land, despite the Tohono O’odham Nation’s vehement opposition to the project.
The Nation has taken multiple pathways to resist the new wall, including its placement of “No Trespassing” signs on the land, publicly warning that any border wall contractors could be removed.
On Monday, Tohono O’odham Chairman Verlon Jose told reporters the tribe had already turned back about seven federal contractors in recent weeks. He added that tribal leadership was also prepared to issue citations for unauthorized individuals who entered the Nation.
“My message to the Trump administration is: Stop this wall from being built. It is not necessary,” he said Monday, addressing reporters during a press conference.
Less than 24 hours later — at about 4 a.m. Tuesday morning — federal agents entered the Nation, the tribe said.
The Tohono O’odham Nation is also battling the Tucson 5 Project in an ongoing federal lawsuit, though a federal judge earlier this month denied a preliminary injunction that would have paused wall construction.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
