Federal officials did not offer details about the raid, but the structure located along Route 16, houses the offices of Hua Sheng International Group, a contractor that figured in a labor controversy earlier this year.
Agents entered the three-story building and were seen scouring the jungle area. Variety contacted Robert Robertson, resident agent in charge, who would only say the agency had “executed a search warrant of the OMI Materials Center.”
At least two people were seen being questioned at the site by agents. A few minutes later, five or six individuals — purportedly foreign workers — were loaded into the bed of a federal pick up truck and transported from the area.
On May 19, Thomas A. Morrison, executive director of the Contractors License Board, issued a press release stating that Hua Sheng International Group’s contracting license has been suspended.
The board also suspended Hua Sheng management staff Steven Wang for “exhibiting unethical behavior by improperly submitting fabricated documents in support of their notification of departures for their employees and neglecting to pay civil penalties amounting to $63,000 assessed by the Department of Labor.”
Morrison had said the board spent more than a year working on Hua Sheng’s case, revealing that there was an ongoing investigation into the company’s labor practices.
In June, former H-2 workers from China made local headlines after being stranded on Guam by Hua Sheng. Gu Feng Zhuan was just one of several workers who claimed they were unable to return home to China until the company paid them for the labor they provided on a variety of construction projects.
Desperate for assistance, Zhuan spent several days on the side of the road along Route 16, holding up a sign that pleaded for someone to help. Hua Sheng management had threatened to turn the worker into the Guam Police Department or the immigration office if he attempted to file a complaint with the labor department.
Hua Sheng and Wang were barred from participating in any construction-related projects until an administrative order, and imposed penalties had been addressed with the Department of Labor.
However, Greg Massey, of the Department of Labor told Variety that he was not aware of the raid and could not comment on the matter. Massey noted that his department still had an ongoing investigation into Hua Sheng’s labor practices. (With Paul Blas)
