BREAKING: Company Loses Contract with “Alligator Alcatraz” After Nick Valencia News Exposé

July 17, 2025

By Nick Valencia

Days after our exclusive reporting exposed serious operational failures inside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport—nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”—the private company tasked with running the site has lost the contract.

Critical Response Strategies (CRS), the Jacksonville-based consulting firm has been removed amid allegations of mismanagement and poor leadership, according to a source with direct knowledge of the decision.

“They just failed in the leadership and their communication the two most important things,” a source with intimate knowledge of the situation said.

Part of the concern under CRS were unvetted corrections officers and an overall mishandling of inmate processing. There were overall safety concerns for both staff and detainees. Advocates for migrant detainees are hopeful this may be a positive change for the overall safety conditions of those in custody.

Some of the immediate failures of CRS included putting in an interim warden with zero experience overseeing a prison or immigration facility.

The shakeup comes directly after our investigation revealed a system in disarray. CRS has not yet responded to a request for comment.

A new transition team is expected to be put into place by July 21, a source said. At least two companies are currently being considered, but the source declined to offer more details.

This is a developing story.