Desert Angels: Inside the High-Stakes Search for the Missing at the US-Mexico Border

For 25 years, search-and-rescue pioneer Rafael Larraenza has operated a harrowing and high-stakes DIY rescue mission dedicated to finding individuals who have disappeared after crossing the United States-Mexico border. When no one else possesses the will, instincts, or know-how to locate missing loved ones, Larraenza remains the definitive call for desperate families.

Today, battling physical decline and facing severely limited resources, Larraenza races desperately against time to assist a mother in locating her missing son. He understands all too well that every passing minute can determine the difference between life and death.

The documentary film Desert Angel, directed by Vincent DeLuca, captures this dangerous journey through treacherous and deadly landscapes that few people ever witness and some never manage to escape.