MIT TR maps 3,978 remains against 587 towers; 138 deaths inside nominal range since 2022

MIT Technology Review and Times of San Diego compiled the first geolocated dataset of remains recoveries cross-referenced with tower coordinates and coverage radii. Records indicate repeated failures including offline cameras, undetected crossings within 360 feet of active units, and no agent dispatch despite automated alerts. José Morales Bernal and Gómez Hernández cases both occurred inside documented tower footprints yet triggered zero response.

CBP documentation and internal logs cited in the investigation list systemic issues: algorithm false-negative rates above 30 percent on thermal feeds, tower downtime exceeding 15 percent in sector audits, and agent protocols that deprioritize alerts without corroborating visual confirmation. The $1 billion expansion slated for 2025-2027 will triple tower count without documented fixes to these failure modes.

Operational consequence is sustained mortality inside monitored zones. Remains recoveries continue at prior rates while surveillance density increases, indicating the virtual wall functions primarily as a detection grid rather than an intervention system. CBP has not released per-tower alert-to-apprehension metrics that would allow independent verification of efficacy claims.