A group of young people may have just jeopardized their futures after posting a disturbing video on TikTok that appeared to threaten federal immigration officers.
The short clip, featuring teenage-looking individuals, was uploaded earlier this week and referenced reported cartel bounties against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. In the video, one young man pulls down his mask and smirks at the camera while rap music plays in the background, and others stand behind him.
Across the screen, a message flashes in bold letters: “ICE, we’re on the way. Word in the streets cartels put a $50K bounty on y’all.”
The account that posted the video — reportedly belonging to a user from Florida — has since been deleted. But not before it was noticed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which issued a blistering response after sharing the clip on Friday.
“FAFO. If you threaten or lay hands on our law enforcement officers, we will hunt you down and you will find out, really quick,” DHS wrote. “We’ll see you cowards soon.”
Federal officials are not treating the post as a harmless stunt. They say it came at a time of heightened concern after reports that criminal groups have been offering cash bounties for attacks on ICE personnel.
According to FOX 32, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that there is a structured bounty system, with payouts ranging from $2,000 for doxxing or identifying agents, to $5,000–$10,000 for assaults or kidnappings, and up to $50,000 for assassinations of high-ranking officers.
The Washington Examiner reported similar findings after obtaining information from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which revealed that gangs in Chicago’s southwest neighborhoods were offering cash rewards to target ICE employees.
“Gangs in the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods have ‘spotters’ stationed on rooftops, armed with guns, monitoring law enforcement activity in those areas,” the DEA report said. “Communication is conducted via radio.”
The revelation comes on the heels of a separate case involving Eduardo Aguilar, an illegal alien from Mexico living in Dallas, Texas, who was arrested after using TikTok to solicit the murder of ICE agents.
Aguilar’s post, written in Spanish, called for “10 dudes in Dallas with determination who aren’t afraid to [skull emojis],” offering $10,000 for each ICE agent killed. The post circulated for days before federal authorities tracked him down.
When agents arrested Aguilar, they discovered a loaded 9mm handgun in his vehicle. Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from possessing firearms, making the offense a felony.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin praised law enforcement officers for acting quickly to apprehend Aguilar before anyone was harmed. She said the case demonstrates how online threats against law enforcement can easily escalate into real-world violence.
“ICE officers face ambushes, terrorist attacks, and death threats simply for carrying out the immigration laws passed by Congress,” McLaughlin said. “This arrest likely prevented a tragedy and shows that our agents will not be intimidated.”
Aguilar’s background further underscores long-standing failures in the immigration system. He entered the United States illegally in 2018 as an unaccompanied minor and was ordered removed by an immigration judge in February 2019. Yet, like countless others, he remained in the country and accumulated a criminal record before his eventual arrest.
Now, DHS officials are warning that similar threats — whether spread through social media or on the streets — will bring swift and severe consequences.
“This is not a game,” a DHS official said. “When you threaten the men and women who enforce our laws, we will find you.”