Alleged Human Smugglers In Canada Take To TikTok To Promise '100 Percent Safe' Border Crossings

Advertisements promoting illegal immigration across the northern U.S. border with Canada have reportedly been spotted on social media.

The advertisements promised safe passage into the U.S. from Canada, with the so-called northern "coyotes" asking prospective customers to direct message them to discuss fees, Fox News reported.

The network added that the posts were down by Monday and inaccessible and that Fox had no way to verify if they were authentic advertisements, although the New York Post stated that it had messaged with one of the smugglers before the posts came down. Fox reported that TikTok told the outlet the posts violated the platform's standards, which prohibit any content that promotes human smuggling.

"The danger is they're gonna go where we're not," Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican and chairman of the Northern Border Security Caucus, told Fox News. "The northern border has had hundreds of crossings from people on the terrorist watch list."

The New York Post reported Feb. 15 that some posts had been up for a year and targeted Indian nationals. The outlet claimed to have contacted one of the Canadian "coyotes." and that being smuggled into New York state from Montreal had a cost of $4.500: "When you ready to go, send me your ID," the New York Post reported, quoting the supposed smuggler.

The outlet added that the journey into the U.S. was described as a two-hour car ride and a 25-minute walk through the forest. According to the Post, immigrants were provided with a map to help them avoid border checkpoints.

The advertisements, in some instances, included testimonials. "The service was outstanding, we have come through very easily," reads a passage of the outlet's quote of one such testimonial.