HBO is set to premiere a powerful new original documentary, Critical Incident: Death at the Border, today on Monday, December 29, 2025, airing at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET (To be available on JioHotstar in India). The film will also be available for streaming on HBO Max immediately after its televised debut, offering viewers multiple ways to watch.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rick Rowley, Critical Incident delivers an unflinching examination of the 2010 death of Anastasio Hernández-Rojas, a tragedy that continues to resonate far beyond the U.S.–Mexico border. The case, involving allegations of excessive force by U.S. Border Patrol agents, sparked debates on accountability, transparency, and human rights — debates that remain highly relevant today.
The documentary opens with the haunting imagery of María de la Luz holding a photograph of her son during a rally in San Ysidro, California, in 2013. She joined nearly two hundred activists from Latino organizations protesting deaths and assaults linked to Customs and Border Protection agents.
Rather than treating Hernández-Rojas’ death as a closed chapter, the film reframes it as an unresolved human rights case with lasting implications. Journalists, lawyers, and family members retrace the events, revealing how early official accounts downplayed the severity of the incident. The turning point came when eyewitness video footage surfaced, capturing Hernández-Rojas’ pleas for help as he was restrained — footage that forced deeper scrutiny of Border Patrol conduct.
The investigation uncovered the role of little-known Critical Incident Teams within Border Patrol — internal units tasked with controlling the narrative in cases involving their own agency. According to the documentary, these teams were present in numerous controversial incidents, often shaping reports before independent investigators could step in.
Despite an FBI review, no agents were ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Years later, the case reached the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which ruled that Hernández-Rojas’ human rights had been violated during his arrest and called for the case to be reopened. In 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officially disbanded the Critical Incident Teams.
By blending investigative journalism with direct testimony, Critical Incident: Death at the Border avoids sensationalism and instead builds a compelling, evidence-based narrative. It stands as both a historical record and a challenge to institutional silence, making it essential viewing for anyone interested in justice, accountability, and the truth behind one of the most troubling cases in modern U.S. border history.
