Migrants Turn to TikTok to Find Smugglers as U.S. Crackdown Escalates: 'It Took Me Half an Hour'

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Smugglers are increasingly using TikTok to connect with migrants seeking to enter the United States illegally, as border security tightens and smuggling costs surge.

Investigative reporting by the Associated Press (AP) has revealed that social media platforms have become essential tools for facilitating human smuggling operations, offering a rare look into how these networks operate.

TikTok videos reported by AP, often less than a minute long, show migrants trekking through deserts, riding dune buggies to the border, or using tunnels and jet skis. One smuggler cited by the sprawling piece wrote:

"With God's help, we're going to continue working to fulfill the dreams of foreigners. Safe travels without robbing our people"

The AP found hundreds of such posts, often overlaid with music and emojis, showcasing purportedly safe crossings and piles of cash. Soary, a 24-year-old smuggler based in Ciudad Juárez, told the AP she began in smuggling at 19 and now connects clients across the Americas.

"TikTok goes all over the world," said Soary, noting that videos of successful crossings help build trust. Migrants, like Cristina from Zacatecas, also rely on TikTok when desperate. "In a moment of desperation, I started searching on TikTok and, well, with the algorithm videos began to pop up," Cristina said. "It took me a half an hour" to find a smuggler.

Smugglers and migrants often shift to encrypted apps like WhatsApp for negotiation since TikTok claims it prohibits human smuggling content and reports it to law enforcement. Yet, smugglers continue to advertise services on the App, adjusting their narratives based on U.S. immigration policy.

"The illicit advertisements have fueled concern among international authorities like the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, which warned in a report about the use of the technology that "networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and evasive, thus challenging government authorities to address new, non-traditional forms of this crime," explains The Associated Press.

A report by The Texas Tribune back in late December also revealed that social media platforms are not only being used by smugglers to reach migrants but to recruit Americans to take part in smuggling schemes:

"Social media posts on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat advertise vague opportunities such as driving jobs with guaranteed payments of thousands of dollars. Recruits often receive instructions through encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, where they are directed to border areas to pick up passengers and transport them to cities like San Antonio or Houston"

One of the main reasons behind the surge in social media usage by smugglers has to do with increased fees involved in the operation. An NBC 5 report from early March quoted one migrant as saying he paid $18,000 to cross the border, with $12,000 upfront. Texas DPS officials attribute this rise to intensified enforcement as Border Patrol reported only 200 encounters on one recent day, a 15-year low.