Tik tok, Snapchat and other social platforms popular with young people, especially teenagers, have recently become the tool these human traffickers turn to to recruit accomplices to help them transport immigrants from the border to certain cities from Texas.
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“Traffickers recruit minors on social media and offer them thousands of dollars to transport immigrants,” says Chris Olivarez, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, in the Río Grande sector (DPS RGV).
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Olivarez says that teens are tempted and accept the offer because they don’t think about the consequences. The job they are offered consists of traveling to the border area, picking up immigrants and taking them to cities like Houston.
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“There is money at stake and it is easy, or so they think … they do not think about the consequences and they do not think that they are committing a crime, not only federal, but also that the state can impute charges,” explained the officer.
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So are the published videos
In the videos of Tik Tok or Snapchat, thousands of dollars are offered per “head”, the money is shown and also the way in which drivers manage to evade the authorities.
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“They take them to Houston because it is a big city; it is the place to distribute them to other parts of the country and they can be held captive indefinitely in safe houses,” Olivarez said.
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Traffickers make young people believe that the job is very simple and the reason why they prefer to involve minors as drivers in migrant smuggling is to avoid the weight of the law. However, that premise is not entirely true, because it is possible to proceed legally against them, according to Tom Berg, an expert in federal crimes.
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“It is a felony, which carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and the loss of (certain) rights for life. The person will not be able to vote, or carry a weapon, among others,” Berg explained.
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In addition, if the person who committed the crime is a resident, he adds, “he may face deportation because it is an aggravated crime that promises easy money, between $ 3,000 and $ 4,000.”
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recommendations
The authorities ask parents to monitor the activities of their children through social networks.
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Wired Safety, a specialized online safety site, recommends that parents be clear with their children, teach them values and common sense, and explain the dangers they may encounter. In addition, they ask to emphasize that they trust their good judgment when connecting or using technology.
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