Graciela Gómez Hernández Dies Near AI Surveillance Tower on Border

On September 14, 2025, Graciela Gómez Hernández, a 30-year-old migrant, died while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, approximately one mile from a surveillance tower manufactured by General Dynamics and Anduril. This incident highlights the limitations of the over 120 surveillance towers along the California border, which have collectively cost more than $1 billion.

Gómez Hernández reportedly paid 20,000 pesos (about $1,150) to smugglers, while the average cost of smuggling currently stands at $12,000. Despite the presence of surveillance technology, the distance from the nearest AI-equipped tower to her remains was about 2,000 feet, raising questions about the effectiveness of these systems.

In the past four years, at least 138 migrant remains have been discovered in similar circumstances, indicating a persistent issue in border safety. Surveillance towers, first installed in 2011 and updated with AI capabilities since 2018, are expected to increase to 2,300 by 2034, with an additional cost of $1.4 billion for planned installations.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is mapping these surveillance towers, while advocacy groups like No More Deaths and Desert Angels continue to document the human toll of border crossings. Rafael Hernández Larraenza, leading the Desert Angels, noted that