Snopes investigated a viral immigration-related social media post that purported to show U.S. Customs and Border Protection commenting “We got them” on a widely shared image, finding the agency comment was fabricated.
The post paired dramatic enforcement imagery with a screenshot suggesting official CBP confirmation of apprehensions. Snopes determined that the attributed comment did not appear on any authenticated CBP social media account.
Impersonation of law enforcement accounts is a recurring misinformation tactic during immigration surges and border policy debates. Fabricated endorsements lend false credibility to partisan narratives about enforcement success or failure.
CBP maintains verified channels for public communication, and fact-checkers recommend checking those directly rather than trusting screenshot chains forwarded in messaging apps. The investigated post failed that verification standard.
Snopes rated the claim false, clarifying that no genuine CBP account published the quoted language on the viral material. The underlying enforcement scene may be real or unrelated, but the agency’s alleged comment was not.
Screenshot-based hoaxes proliferate during immigration enforcement surges because users trust visual formats mimicking official branding. Verification requires visiting authenticated agency profiles rather than relying on cropped images forwarded without URLs or timestamps.
Law enforcement agencies periodically warn that impersonator accounts exploit recognizable insignia to spread false enforcement narratives during border policy debates. Users who encounter suspicious posts should report them to the platform and verify through official government websites.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://www.snopes.com/