Vincent DeLuca’s Desert Angel follows the founder of Desert Angels, a volunteer group that rescues migrants crossing the Mexican border to the United States. Rafael Larraenza Hernandez immigrated to Southern California with his family after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. Prior to immigrating, he worked as an EMT and supported the Red Cross. Due to the destruction from the earthquake, he struggled to find work. Once Hernandez moved to California, he successfully worked as a mechanic at companies like John Deere and Caterpillar. His life shifted in 1997 when he witnessed a news broadcast about missing young people crossing the border. This inspired him to go on rescue missions to find migrants, whether they were dead or alive. He did it alone for many years. Hernandez’s efforts have been recognized with awards and support from those who believe in his cause.
His process consists of correspondence with migrants’ relatives in Mexico, finding coordinates using digital maps, and checking for key information through phone calls and text messages. It is no easy task as Hernandez and his volunteers travel across rocky terrain bordering Arizona, California, Texas, and New Mexico. If migrants are found alive, he brings them food and water. Hernandez provides additional help by offering to take them to the Border Patrol. There are many cases where skeletal remains and clothes are found in the desert.

“… Hernandez is helping Indira Renderos locate her son.”
Throughout the documentary, Hernandez helps Indira Renderos locate her son. Her son, Rodrigo, left his university in El Salvador because it is a highly dangerous area. This resulted in him trekking across the border and receiving help from a smuggler. Hernandez is relentless in helping Indira find her son. They even go on a helicopter mission, which is reported on Telemundo. For a long time, this was a cold case. Eventually, Rodrigo’s remains are found by hunters in Brooks County, Texas.
Vincent DeLuca’s documentary shows how far a man is willing to go for a major cause. Through all the success and failures, we see Hernandez’s humanity. He is a man of Christian faith and super resilient, who constantly endures health problems in his hip throughout the film. Due to the subject matter, DeLuca’s documentary opens the door to finding immigration solutions between Mexico and the United States.
There is great editing by Jillian Corsie and Daniela I. Quiroz. Corsie and Quiroz weave together home movies and contemporary footage in a consistent flow, keeping the audience focused as DeLuca spaces out Hernandez’s life story. Tinngai Chan’s cinematography brings out the rugged beauty of the US-Mexican border, and this visually conveys a deep sense of isolation.
Vincent DeLuca’s Desert Angel will encourage provocative conversation about our country’s immigration issues and touch audiences with Indira Renderos’ story.