A viral internet hoax has falsely claimed that Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez, brother of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), was arrested with $1.2 million worth of fentanyl, prompting a strong public response from Gabriel himself to set the record straight.
The rumor began circulating after a TikTok video misidentified a man as “Matthew Ocasio-Cortez” and alleged he was apprehended by the U.S. Coast Guard on Lake Superior while trafficking drugs. The video showed what appeared to be a doctored news screenshot and boldly claimed, “AOC’s brother has just been charged with trafficking fentanyl.”
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It quickly gained traction online, gathering over 50,000 likes and spreading across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X (formerly Twitter). Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez, 32, responded directly to the claims via TikTok, firmly denying the false story and calling out the absurdity.
“I’m the brother. My name’s not Matthew. I have no idea why they’re posting this,” he said. “I work with the homeless. I have nothing to do with this story, which isn’t real. Please find something better to do with your time.” He also added a caption to his video that read, “Don’t make me sue.”
The source of the hoax was traced back to the Dunning-Kruger Times, a well-known satire website. Despite the clearly fictional nature of the site, the TikTok creator zoomed in on excerpts from a satirical article in an attempt to give the story credibility.
“Awkward. A Nike racing boat carrying AOC’s brother Matthew was also carrying $1.2 million worth of fentanyl when the US Coast Guard boarded it on Lake Superior,” the satirical piece stated. “‘We had credible information of a drug buy,’ said Vice Admiral Joe Barron. ‘We had no idea there would be a high-profile person on board.’”
The article went on to describe the alleged suspect’s bizarre behavior while in custody, claiming he requested oat milk, vegan gruel, and a cruelty-free mattress—a clear hallmark of the story’s satirical tone.
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The Dunning-Kruger Times explicitly discloses its satirical nature in its “About Us” section, stating, “Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie, and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined.”
Still, the rumor continued to circulate, prompting Gabriel to post a second TikTok video addressing the dangerous consequences of misinformation. “Even if one million people play into that — let’s say even one percent believe it — that’s 10,000 people,” he said. “Now drop it to 0.05 percent — that’s still 5,000 people who believe the false rumor.”
“That’s all it takes to get somebody radicalized, somebody willing to pick up their guns and go do something — and it wouldn’t be the first time somebody has tried,” Gabriel warned. “That’s the society we’re in, so things like this are just more serious than ever — and you can’t slander people.”
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