Finding Desert Angels: Searching for the missing at the US-Mexico border

An ageing trailblazer of search and rescue risks his life to find a woman’s missing son in the US-Mexico borderlands.

Search-and-rescue pioneer Rafael Larraenza runs a harrowing, high-stakes DIY rescue operation for those who have gone missing after crossing the United States-Mexico border. For 25 years, Larraenza has been the man people call when no one else has the will, instincts or know-how to find their loved ones.

Now, facing physical decline and limited resources, Larraenza races against time to help a mother find her missing son, knowing that every minute can mean the difference between life and death. Desert Angel follows his dangerous journey through the deadly landscapes few ever see and some never escape.

Finding Desert Angels is a documentary film by Vincent DeLuca.