More than 1,050 people died within the advertised range of US border surveillance towers between 2015 and early 2026, according to an investigation by MIT Technology Review and Times of San Diego. The findings question whether billions of dollars in cameras, sensors and AI reliably translate detection into timely human response.
Reporters compared nearly 4,000 locations where remains were found with information on almost 600 towers, accounting for installation dates and terrain. Deaths occurred near nearly two-thirds of the towers examined. Although hills and other obstacles left some systems able to see as little as 10 percent of their advertised area, the analysis found that most deaths were not in identified blind spots. More than 110 people died within range of modern autonomous Anduril towers since 2021.
One case involved José Morales Bernal, who died from environmental exposure just 360 feet from an Anduril tower in New Mexico. Landfill workers, not Border Patrol, eventually reported him. Anduril said proximity alone does not prove a missed detection and noted that actual range varies; the company directs questions about operations to Customs and Border Protection.
A camera can detect a person without ensuring that an agent sees, prioritizes or reaches them. The investigation therefore points beyond model accuracy to the full response chain: placement, visibility, alert handling, staffing and whether saving lives is treated as an operational goal.