Social media is proving to be an essential tool for human smugglers illegally transporting migrants across the southern border; and the cash-hungry traffickers aren’t afraid to boast about their illegal operations, often flaunting their cash on apps and bragging about the ease at which they can evade authorities.
In August, 22 people were indicted in Arizona for recruiting truck drivers using Snapchat posts of cash glamorizing illegal migrant smuggling. Many of the posts claimed drivers can make hefty sums of money without the risk of being arrested.
In September, an Arizona man was sentenced to 71 months in prison for transporting hundreds of illegal immigrants, and investigators found Snapchat posts in which he gloated about cramming people into overcrowded vehicles in unsafe conditions. He also used minors to facilitate certain smuggling operations.
A New York Post investigation this month found that migrant smugglers are using Telegram to advertise their services to migrants in Turkey, and migrants from the country have been pouring into the U.S. in record numbers. Turks are being offered routes from Cancun to Tijuana in Mexico, which include flights and travel into the U.S. The smugglers reportedly tell migrants not to "delay your dreams" in advertisements for the travel routes.
