The expansion of the U.S.–Mexico border wall reportedly destroyed a 1,000-year-old Native American intaglio inside Arizona’s Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. Satellite imagery and eyewitnesses say a DHS contractor bulldozed a roughly 60-foot swath through the center of the 200-foot, fish-shaped etching. The project is part of a roughly $46 billion push to resume wall construction at about three miles per week under waivers that bypass environmental and cultural protections. Tribal leaders and archaeologists say the damage is irreversible and are demanding accountability.
Ancient 1,000-Year-Old Native American Intaglio Bulldozed During Border Wall Expansion
Jonathan Ernst / REUTERS(Jonathan Ernst)
A centuries-old Native American ground etching — an intaglio — was irreparably damaged last week during construction of the expanded U.S.–Mexico border wall inside Arizona’s Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, according to satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts.
The wall at the US-Mexico border is seen in Nogales, Arizona, on February 4, 2026. / OLIVIER TOURON / AFP via Getty Images
Last July, the administration approved the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill," which allocated roughly $46 billion to resume and expand construction of the border barrier, including a second wall through much of California, Arizona and New Mexico. Contractors have been building at an aggressive pace — about three miles of new barrier per week — under waivers that allow projects to bypass many federal environmental and cultural-protection laws, prompting concerns from tribal leaders, archaeologists and conservationists.
The website of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. / screen grab
What Happened
Satellite images published by The Washington Post and reporting by The Intercept and others show a roughly 60-foot-wide swath bulldozed through the center of a fish-shaped intaglio measuring about 200 feet in length. Multiple sources say the damage was caused last Friday by a contractor working for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference near the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico in Nogales, Arizona, on February 4, 2026. / OLIVIER TOURON / AFP via Getty Images
Cultural and Archaeological Significance
Local Indigenous communities and archaeologists estimate the ground engraving is at least 1,000 years old. Archaeologist Rick Martynec, who discovered the figure in 2002 and has surveyed the area for more than two decades, said the intaglio was created by scraping darker surface stones to reveal lighter soil beneath. The site lies within Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, lands that are considered sacred by the Tohono O'odham Nation.
A drone view of a new section of border wall being constructed in Arizona’s San Rafael Valley in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, U.S., December 16, 2025. / Cheney Orr / REUTERS
“If someone came to Washington and started destroying all the different sites that people in the United States revere, it’s the same thing for us,” said Hia-ced O’odham elder Lorraine Marquez Eiler. “Those things were made by our ancestors, and it’s hitting home… For me, it’s an emotional subject.”
Officials, Responses and Context
Staff at the refuge had reportedly been in discussions with DHS to protect the feature; Martynec said he observed stakes marking the intaglio’s boundaries during a mid-April visit. Sources told reporters that refuge staff attempted to resolve the issue before construction continued, but a contractor bulldozed the protected area nonetheless. An anonymous Interior Department staffer confirmed the damage to The Washington Post. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge, declined to comment to some outlets, and federal agencies contacted for comment did not provide public explanations prior to reporting.
Mexican men walk along the border wall that separates Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico from Douglas, Arizona, U.S., May 23, 2006. / Daniel Aguilar / REUTERS
The construction push comes as federal data obtained by CBS showed illegal border crossings were at their lowest levels since 1970 last year. Critics say the waivers issued by DHS to accelerate wall construction remove normal safeguards for the environment and for sites sacred to Indigenous peoples.
Why It Matters
Tribal leaders and archaeologists describe the loss as culturally devastating and irreversible. Martynec compared the destruction to damage of internationally recognized geoglyphs such as the Nazca Lines in Peru. Indigenous advocates have called for accountability and stronger protections to prevent similar losses as construction continues.
Sources: The Washington Post, The Intercept, Daily Beast, CBS, reports and eyewitness accounts cited in media coverage.
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