It took 34 seconds for Border Patrol Agent Lonnie Swartz to shoot 16-year-old Jose Antonio Rodriguez ten times in the back. In total, Swartz fired sixteen shots into Mexico as he fired his weapon through the border wall that separates Nogales, Arizona, from Nogales, Sonora. Border Patrol agents stated that Rodriguez was throwing rocks at them. Witness reports, however, state that he was simply walking down the street at the time of the shooting. There is video surveillance of the incident, but the original copy of the tape was lost or destroyed. Agent Swartz was charged with second-degree murder but was acquitted on all charges by a jury in May of 2018. It was the first time in history that a Border Patrol agent was charged in a cross-border homicide.

On June 6, 2010, 16-year-old Sergio Hernandez was gunned down at the U.S.-Mexico border that separates El Paso, Texas, from Ciudad Juarez. The situation was strikingly similar to the one in Nogales. Sergio and his friends were playing a game along the border wall when he was shot by Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa Jr. Mesa was standing on the Texas side of the border when he fired into Mexico, striking the teen numerous times in the face. Again, the justification was that the children were throwing rocks. Video evidence, however, contradicts those claims. Both of these cases are similar in the way they were handled by Border Patrol and the U.S. government.

On May 23, 2018, Claudia Patricia Gómez González was shot in the head just minutes after crossing the border into Rio Bravo, Texas. The 20-year-old indigenous woman from western Guatemala was chasing the quintessential American Dream. Claudia was at the top of her class and dreamed of becoming an accountant in the U.S. State-sponsored violence and the aftermath of a 36-year civil war had left western Guatemala in a chokehold of poverty and unrest. Shortly after finishing high school, Claudia realized that embarking on the almost 2,000-mile, perilous journey to the U.S. was her only option. Like many before her, she was essentially pushed out of her homeland and did what she thought was necessary.

Her killer was U.S. Border Patrol Agent Renaldo Barrera. Initially, Barrera claimed that Claudia and a group of migrants had tried to attack him with blunt objects. He then recanted that statement and said the group attempted to attack him with large pieces of wood. A viral Facebook video shot by a Texas resident shows that no blunt objects nor pieces of wood were in the vicinity of Claudia or her body. Interviews with the others in the migrant group claimed they were running away from the agent when shots rang out.

For years, the identity of the agent was not revealed to the family. On June 21, 2024, some dark details emerged from what happened that day. Reports show that Barrera fled the scene with other agents and drove almost 90 minutes away. His service weapon was handled by various officers and ultimately stored under the seat of one of his colleague's SUVs. He would not have contact or an interview with anyone in the agency for three days. Ballistic reports have shown that the distance between Claudia and the barrel of the gun was less than 12 inches. Barrera was back at work within five days.

On May 28, 2010, Juan Anastasio Hernandez Rojas suffered a brutal and ultimately fatal beating at the hands of U.S. homeland security personnel at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on the southern edge of San Diego. A recently deported day laborer, he was simply trying to reenter the U.S. to see his five American children. Hogtied at a secure facility, the father of five was surrounded by at least eight agents and officers from the nation’s three border and immigration enforcement agencies. They punched and kicked him as a crowd of their colleagues looked on. Kneeling on his neck and body, they tased him repeatedly while he was handcuffed, ignoring his cries for help. He suffered five broken ribs, internal organ hemorrhaging, and extensive bruising across his face and torso. Three days later, he died from cardiac arrest and brain damage. The coroner’s office ruled his death a homicide.
Although federal agents erased video footage taken by eyewitnesses, the violent attack was captured on film and aired on national television. No agents or officers were ever punished, let alone charged. A cover-up followed, reaching the highest levels of command. This case is part of a broader, troubling pattern—despite a century of documented abuses, no Border Patrol agent has ever been convicted of a wrongful killing while on duty.

This film serves as a vehicle to raise awareness, inspire social change, and demand accountability for the families of these innocent victims. We aim to present a balanced story that accurately reflects the facts, offering both sides of the narrative. We recognize that the job of a Border Patrol agent can be dangerous and that the issue of immigration holds significant stakes on both sides.One of the strangest aspects of these cases is that, except for people living along the border, hardly anyone has heard of them.Set against the turbulent backdrop of the U.S.-Mexico border, 34 Seconds is a feature-length documentary that explores the deaths of innocent people at the hands of Border Patrol and CBP. The film also chronicles corruption, criminal activity, and a xenophobic culture that persists within the Border Patrol. Additionally, we delve into the roots of migration, the militarization of the border, for-profit detention centers, and the racist rhetoric contributing to the deaths of innocent people at the U.S.-Mexico border.