Smugglers are brazenly using TikTok to advertise illegal crossings at the Canada-US border, complicating Canada’s trade and security talks with the U.S.,, according to a new report from the New York Post.
For nearly a year, Canadian traffickers, primarily targeting Indian nationals, have charged up to $5,000 for a seamless journey into the U.S., quickly replacing banned accounts with new ones. Their posts, often featuring a U.S. flag over a wooded border with Indian music, invite migrants to message for details.
“$4,000 cheapest in market,” says one post. “Payment after reach,” another says.
The New York Post writes that Northern border crossings by Indian nationals have dropped from 4,500 per month before Trump’s presidency to 2,900 since, per U.S. Customs data. Yet, The Post found at least six coyote accounts still active on TikTok.
Smugglers operate from Montreal, Brampton, and Surrey, transporting migrants to New York or Washington, per TikTok accounts reviewed by The Post. The New York route includes a two-hour drive and a 25-minute forest trek across an unguarded border near Champlain and Mooers, NY, with migrants given maps to navigate.
Groups of up to five cross at a time, a smuggler told The Post. Like a business, these accounts feature Punjabi testimonials from “satisfied customers” praising the journey as “easy” and “comfortable.”
Smugglers see the Canada-US border as an easy target. Unlike the US-Mexico border, much of it is unguarded wilderness. “They call it a border, but you can cross anytime you want,” said political scientist Shinder Purewal. “It’s really an undefended border.”
Meanwhile, illegal crossings at the southern border have plummeted, with daily apprehensions down over 90% from last year.
Recall, just days ago we wrote about an influx of Romanian immigrants coming from Canada, into Maine.
Although Romanians accounted for less than 1% of nationwide border encounters last year, they make up a growing share in Maine’s Houlton Sector.
According to CBP data, Romanian encounters in the sector rose from 4% (13 of 303) in the 2023 fiscal year to 12% (40 of 344) last year and now stand at 13% (9 of 70) this fiscal year. While agents have encountered individuals from over a dozen countries, only Mexicans had a slightly higher share.
The Bangor Daily News report says that the reasons behind the increase remain unclear, as U.S. and Canadian officials note that shifts in migration patterns are difficult to explain.
Karine Martel, spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency said: “The Canada Border Services Agency cannot speculate on why a certain percentage of Romanians try to enter illegally both in Canada and the United States.”
