TikTok ads and misinformation are driving migrants to multi-billion dollar smuggling organisations.
Stepping into the brown waters of the Rio Grande, a small group of migrants is all smiles as they look off into the distance - the end of their long and dangerous journey into the US is just hundreds of feet away.
Experts say these video clips - on platforms including TikTok, YouTube and WhatsApp - are the public face of a highly sophisticated, multi-billion dollar illegal industry that has taken advantage of confusion over changes in US immigration policies to spread disinformation and drive demand for their services.
Falling figures, however, do not mean falling profits for the criminal organisations that help migrants cross the border undetected. Some are testimonials from seemingly satisfied customers, supposedly speaking from safe houses or city streets in the US. Almost universally, they include a phone number to WhatsApp or a promise that more details - including price and payment plans - will be revealed in response to private messages.
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