The claim: Video shows Azerbaijani terrorist entering the US illegally through Texas
A Jan. 23 Instagram video ( direct link , archive link ) shows a man standing with a small group in a desert and telling the person behind the camera, “You are really not smart enough to know who I am. But soon you’re gonna know who I am.”
The video, which was initially shared on TikTok , proceeds to claim the man in the clip is Movsum Samadov, a man who was arrested on terrorism and other charges in Azerbaijan in 2011.
“He crossed the Texas border illegally,” reads on-screen text in the video. “Movsum Samadov The Chairman of Azerbaijan Islamic Party.”
The post garnered more than 50,000 likes in a week. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Facebook , Instagram and X, formerly Twitter .
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: False
There’s no evidence the man in the video is Samadov. In a recent interview, Samadov said the man doesn’t physically resemble him and that he is banned from leaving Azerbaijan. There are no credible reports that Samadov has entered the U.S. illegally.