The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?

José Morales Bernal crossed the U.S. border on April 8, 2024, the day before his 32nd birthday, and died in the desert despite being within range of three newly installed surveillance towers in southern New Mexico. The towers should have triggered alerts and human responses, but the system failed to prevent his death, raising questions about the effectiveness of billions spent on border technology.