Strong winds gusting across Southern California blew down several panels of a new barrier being installed along the U.S.-Mexico border, a newspaper reported.
The U.S. Border Patrol said the panels fell into Mexican territory Wednesday about 100 miles (161 kilometers) east of San Diego where the border runs between the U.S. city of Calexico and the Mexican city of Mexicali, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The 30-foot-tall (9.1-meter) panels had just been anchored in concrete that had not yet cured when the gusts hit, the newspaper said.
The panels fell onto a road.
“Luckily, Mexican authorities responded quickly and were able to divert traffic from the nearby street,” said U.S. Border Patrol Agent Carlos Pitones.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection was working to retrieve the panels from Mexico, the Union-Tribune said.
