A young woman identified as Verónica on TikTok ended up arrested by agents of the United States Border Patrol after publicly boasting about smuggling migrants illegally across the Rio Bravo valley.
According to US Border Patrol's own reports on social media, the woman, a citizen of El Salvador and illegally present in U.S. territory, was recording and sharing videos in which she boasted about her role in human trafficking.
In a new attempt to collect migrants near the river, the agents intercepted her and arrested her, adding federal charges.
They announced her with a striking phrase: “She posted it. We got her.” A sort of ironic response to the attention-seeking that the TikToker seemed to be pursuing, which ultimately led to her downfall.
Verónica was accused of illegal reentry, a serious crime in the United States. The case reignites concerns about the role of social media in irregular migration. And it’s not the first one.
Just weeks ago, another undocumented immigrant was arrested for an even more serious case, also related to TikTok.
Eduardo Aguilar, a 23-year-old Mexican resident in Dallas, posted a video in which he encouraged others to kill ICE agents, allegedly offering "10 thousand for each agent." Federal authorities arrested him, and he faces charges for transmitting interstate threats, a crime that could cost him up to five years in prison.
Federal agencies have warned that social media is becoming a breeding ground for illegal activities, ranging from human trafficking to inciting violence against agents.
In both cases, the accused face serious criminal charges, but behind these stories lies a deeper reality: the desperation, the lack of legal options, and the manipulation that thousands of migrants endure in their search for a better future.
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