Governor Ducey urges social media firms to fight smuggling

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is calling on social media companies to better police their platforms for people recruiting drivers to smuggle immigrants across the border.

The governor made the request in a letter to the chief executives of the companies that run Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Ducey says smugglers are using the platforms to glamorize human trafficking in order to recruit young people who are paid to sneak migrants across the border. Drug and human smuggling cartels often recruit people with clean records who are less likely to rouse the suspicions of border agents.

Social media companies have mechanisms for users to report criminal activity and other violations of their policies. Ducey says better screening would prevent the exploitation of youth.