Blackwater Opens South Bay Facility Despite Protests

SAN DIEGO -- On Thursday, Blackwater was in Otay Mesa at a non-descript building that is a stone's throw from the U.S.-Mexico border.

"You know, we're not getting a lot of protesters from this area. It's an industrial area," said Brian Bonfiglio, vice president of Blackwater Worldwide.

The private security company did get an earful last Friday as protestors demonstrated outside a federal court.

Despite the protest, a judge gave the company a temporary thumbs up that allows them to begin training 24 Navy sailors Thursday morning.

"There needed to be another level of training, if you will, beyond what they learned in boot camp and that's what we provide here," said Bonfiglio.

While training has been going on inside the facility for several hours, there are still people trying to actively kick Blackwater out of Otay Mesa.

Anti-Blackwater activist Ray Lutz said, "It's not a done deal for me."

Lutz has actively campaigned against Blackwater, saying the company is illegally training a private army in the South Bay.

"And we want this addressed. And if they're not going to address it then well have to go to state court," said Lutz. "Blackwater also has a reputation for being a shoot first, ask-questions-never type of company."

Bonfiglio said that is not true. He said the facility is only being used to train American sailors.

"If we weren't Blackwater, if we were any other company then we would have come right in here and there wouldn't have been any issues," said Bonfiglio.

San Diego city officials have tried blocking Blackwater's opening.

However, a federal judge said the company had enough permits approved to open on Thursday.

Both sides said they expect more lawsuits to be filed.