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JACUMBA MOUNTAINS, Calif. — Atop a mountain range straddling the U.S. and Mexico border, Rafael Hernandez Larraenza points to grim landmarks: A rocky hill to the south where he found a decomposed corpse after searching for two months; to the east, a spot where he found two men after a desperate call from one man’s wife. “The only reference point we got was that there were…

Rafael Hernandez is the director of Angeles del Desierto – the Desert Angels, a non-profit humanitarian group that performs search and rescue missions for immigrants who become lost while trying to cross the border into the U.S. Often times, Hernandez says, his group’s efforts are more about finding closure for the families of immigrants than about…

“HUMANITARIAN AID IS NEVER A CRIME” There are admirable individuals and organizations that the general public hardly hears about, who try to lessen the human suffering at the border, offering relief and resources. Their charity seems to be viewed by the general public as controversial. Their actions are not often covered by the national media. It is…

At least twice a day, Rafael Hernandez gets calls from desperate people. Their loved ones —- trying to come into the country illegally —- are lost in remote areas of the border. Hernandez heads a volunteer search and rescue group called Angeles del Desierto , or Desert Angels. His group has been involved in efforts…