The popular social media platform Tiktok removed the hashtag from its search engine after Cartel members were caught using it to highlight its crimes and recruit human smugglers.
A Tiktok spokesman told Fox News Digital that in addition to removing “#Carteltok” from its search engine, the platform also removed “known leaders of cartels or gangs” that violated organizational policies.
Many of the videos related show the cartel flashing with a bunch of money, jewelry and luxury items used to attract teenagers in the United States and Mexico. Illegal Immigration Trafficking The entire U.S. border.
These videos prove that cartel members are not afraid Boasting about their illegal actions, Often show off their cash on Tiktok and other apps, boasting that they can escape the convenience of the authorities.
“Carteltok is Wildddd,” the title of the Tiktok video posted on X.
Another X user wrote: “On Tiktok, there is currently a trend called ‘Carteltok’, where Mexican cartels hire drug mules and then pay in cryptocurrency. It seems the cartels are awake in the Trump administration,” another X user wrote.
Not only did the smugglers target Tiktok’s hiring, they also used other social media sites, including Snapchat and Instagram. They then use an encrypted messaging app (usually WhatsApp) to communicate anonymously with cartel members, getting audio or text messages to indicate where to pick up people’s payload, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Chris Olivarez previously told Fox News digital numbers.
Representatives of Snapchat, Tiktok and Meta, which own Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, told Fox News Digital that they have appropriate policies to combat such content and remove such content when it appears on their platform.
In August, 22 people were prosecuted In Arizona Snapchat is allegedly used to recruit truck drivers, an illegal immigrant smuggling that is cash-charming. Many posts claim that drivers can make money without the risk of being arrested.
An Arizona man was sentenced to 71 months in prison for transporting hundreds of illegal immigrants in September, and investigators found the Snapchat outpost, which was packed with crowded vehicles under unsafe conditions. He also uses minors to promote certain smuggling operations.
A convicted conviction will be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office in Arizona.
Cartels are turning to social media to attract Americans to smuggle humans.
National Border Patrol Vice Chairman Hector Garza told Fox News Digital that these videos on tiktok and other social media are nothing new, but it feels like the Trump administration is taking these videos seriously and actively working to protect the border.
“We have been tracking on social media the intelligence community within border patrols and other agencies has been tracking these types of activities. Now, we know, back to the Biden administration, we are tracking many different caravans that have entered the U.S.. Many promotions, many marketing, and the marketing of these marketing is that these cartels have been doing these activities in Central America.
Still images in Tiktok videos allegedly helped illegally enter the United States from Canada. (@helper4731/tiktok)
“Now we have President Trump, and it’s clear that he’s serious about making the United States, protecting our country, protecting our borders. So we’re very confident that President Trump will actually focus on this situation in Tiktok and not allow these cartels to continue to peddling their illegal activities on social media.”
He said Garza, an active Border Patrol agent, said when he heard the cancellation of “Carteltok” was a positive move, he said Tiktok and other social media sites could still do more to continue to suppress these criminals and prevent them from posting videos.
“We think their next step will be that they will continue to do their jobs unless there are some serious reforms to Tiktok and how they operate within the U.S.,” Garza said.
He continued: “Carteltok is not the only channel that promotes it and talks about all of these cartel activities. We have become aware of many pages, from trafficking in children to smuggling humans, and other illegal activities they do on the border,” he continued.
Another problem, Garza added, is that there is content that imitates these cartels in the release.
“Some of the problems with these Tiktok videos and these social media channels that promote human smuggling, trafficking in children and human trafficking is that other imitators are present in this situation. Now we have a feeling that even if we are involved in illegal activities, it is worth pride.
Thanks to the Trump administration’s border crackdown, Garsa said it was “very clear” that Trump and his team kept a close eye on these social media sites.
“We do think President Trump will make some positive changes in Tiktok in case a deal is reached between Tiktok in the United States, but we do know that these cartels have been using social media to this day. You know the popularity exists.”
Border Patrol agent Hector Garza said it was clear that the Trump administration’s border crackdown included closely following social media sites such as Tiktok. (Getty Image)
“And we do want President Trump to make it very clear to Tiktok that these types of channels must be removed so that we do not promote illegal activities, especially that we do not promote cartel activities, which are now terrorists.”
In February, the Trump administration designated several gangs and cartels as TDA, MS-13 and Sinaloa Cartel as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOS).
Eight groups consist of TDA; Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13; Sinaloa cartel; Jalisco State cartel of the new generation cartel; United cartel; Northeast cartel; Bay cartel; and La Nueva Familia Michoacana or LNFM, many of which are in units of multiple different names.
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The move comes after Trump signed an executive order on his first day of office, directing the State Department and other executive bodies to move to designated cartels and other criminal groups as FTO.
The order noted that these groups “pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the U.S. national security, foreign policy and economy” and cited the International Emergency Economic Forces Act (IEEP) to declare national emergencies “to deal with these threats.”
In fiscal 2023, customs and border protection encountered 2,475,669 people trying to enter Southwest border – The historical growth rate was 4.07% compared to the previous year. However, it is not clear how many immigrants or their smugglers use social media to help them.
Fox News Digital contacted the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Michael Dorgan and Greg Wehner of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.
Stepheny Price is a writer at Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, state crime cases, illegal immigration and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
