>Blackwater’s motion for a temporary restraining order against the City of San Diego will be heard today, Friday, May 30, in Federal Court in the courtroom of the Honorable Marilyn L. Huff, at 1:30. The TRO motion was filed on behalf of Blackwater Lodge and Training Center, Inc. vs. Broughton et. al.
Following upon an investigation of their facility in Otay Mesa, the City of San Diego halted the issue of final permit for occupancy pending further hearings and review. Lawyers for the City argue that Blackwater failed to file for the proper permits to convert the 61,000-square-foot warehouse in Otay Mesa into a military training center for a Navy counterterrorism program. The facility is only a few blocks from the US-Mexico border, and is located near Brown Field Municipal Airport, schools and homes. The Tijuana International Airport is just over one mile to the south of the site. Permits were filed under the names of subsidiary companies Southwestern Law Enforcement and Raven Development Group, both subsidiaries of a shell company named E & J Holdings, a real estate firm based in Puerto Rico. In their permit applications, Blackwater did not include pertinent information about plans to install a battleship simulator and a shooting range inside the building.
Today’s motion is apparently an attempt by Blackwater to force the city to approve the permit for occupancy of the Otay Mesa facility. Blackwater claims that they stand to lose a $400 million contract with the Navy if they do not begin the training course on Monday, June 2.
Local citizens plan to meet at the Federal Court House downtown at Front & Broadway at 12:30 PM, Friday, to demonstrate.
