TikTok becomes a tool of choice in cat-and-mouse game between migrant smugglers and authorities

Migrants trek in camouflage through dry desert terrain. Dune buggies roar up to the United States-Mexico border barrier. Families with young children pass through gaps in the wall. Helicopters, planes, yachts, tunnels and jet skis stand by for potential customers.

Laced with emojis, the videos posted by smugglers offer a simple promise: If you don’t have a visa in the U.S., trust us. We’ll get you over safely.

At a time when legal pathways to the US have been slashed and criminal groups are raking…