From the coyote to the algorithm: technology and migrant smuggling at Brazilian borders

Abstract

The digitalization of international migration has also transformed migrant-smuggling networks. Messaging applications, social media, travel services and digital financial tools now support recruitment, negotiation and route coordination. This article examines how these technologies are changing migrant smuggling connected to Brazil and the challenges they pose to intelligence and security in the Global South. The study adopts a qualitative documentary approach based exclusively on official documents published between 2017 and August 2026 by Brazilian institutions and intergovernmental organizations. Thematic analysis uses five categories: recruitment and trust; digital communication; logistics and functional division; financial flows; and cooperation and intelligence. Operation Siblings, launched in 2025 against a network based in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, linked to the irregular movement of Brazilians to the United States through Mexico, is examined as a case study. The findings indicate a hybrid infrastructure in which interpersonal relationships coexist with digital platforms, expanding reach, accelerating communication and distributing tasks. The concept of the digital coyote is proposed to describe this reconfiguration. Brazil's response should combine digital intelligence, financial investigation, international cooperation and migrant protection without criminalizing mobility.