How TikTok is emerging as an essential tool for migrant smugglers
The videos roll through TikTok in 30-second flashes.
Migrants trek in camouflage through dry desert terrain. Dune buggies roar up to the United States-Mexico border barrier. Families with young children pass through gaps in the wall. Helicopters, planes, yachts, tunnels, and Jet Skis stand by for potential customers.
Laced with emojis, the videos posted by smugglers offer a simple promise: If you don’t have a visa in the U.S., trust us. We’ll get you over safely.