'False sense of calm': How social media misleads Mexican migrants about crossing US border

A black ski mask conceals the man’s face.

The anonymous YouTube channel host almost always sports a black baseball cap embellished with the channel’s logo above his mask. The hat depicts a stylized orange and red emblem of a desert vista with the words “aventuras por el desierto,” meaning adventures through the desert.

The channel had nearly 9,000 subscribers and a catalog of 180 videos that offered advice, stories and tips on the process of crossing the Arizona-Mexico border.

Videos walked viewers through how much they would have to pay in smuggling fees and advice on how to cross without a guide or “coyote.”