General Dynamics installed a surveillance tower in 2019, equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras, capable of tracking targets up to 7 miles away. The tower, located near the site where Graciela Gómez Hernández died, had a clear view of the area where she was found.
According to a Times of San Diego analysis, over 138 migrants died within the range of surveillance cameras in the past four years, with more than half of these remains found in areas where cameras would have had an unobstructed view. The Otay Mountain Wilderness, just outside San Diego, has become a focal point for these tragic incidents.
AI-equipped surveillance towers have proliferated along the California border, with more than 120 towers now installed, part of an overall cost exceeding a billion dollars. These towers are integrated with a broader network of trail cameras, radar, and drones, yet they have not prevented the deaths of thousands of migrants in the past two decades.
"I can’t do it anymore," whispered Gómez Hernández in a final message to her family, as she was tracked by the tower’s cameras. Her body was found two weeks later, with most of it having disappeared into the earth, despite the proximity of the surveillance system.
The Border Patrol did not respond to questions about whether the towers spotted Gómez Hernández before her death or how cameras are used to detect people in distress. Local advocates argue that the technology is not effective at tracking migrants and that rescue efforts are not a priority.
Source: mittr
