Trump ally Bo Loudon, 18, claims credit for reporting the 162 million-follower sensation to ICE as star’s visa overstay exposed
The world’s biggest TikTok star has sensationally fled America after being detained by federal immigration agents in a dramatic Las Vegas airport bust that has sent shockwaves through social media.
Khaby Lame, the silent comedy king with a staggering 162.2 million TikTok followers, was held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at Harry Reid International Airport on Friday after allegedly overstaying his visa by more than a month.
In an extraordinary twist, an 18-year-old Trump supporter has claimed he personally orchestrated the detention of the Senegalese-Italian influencer by calling his “buddies in the administration.”
Bo Loudon, whose father is former Republican Missouri state senator John Loudon and whose mother Gina served as co-chair of Women for Trump, boasted on social media: “I just called some buddies in the administration, and I’ve never seen anything happen so quick.
The Vegas Bust
The 25-year-old content creator, whose real name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained on June 6 after authorities discovered he had entered the United States on April 30 and “overstayed the terms of his visa,” according to an official ICE statement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations,” the agency confirmed.
The social media megastar – who became TikTok’s most-followed personality in 2022 by silently mocking overcomplicated “life hacks” – was granted voluntary departure and immediately left the country, avoiding a deportation order that could have banned him from returning to America for up to a decade.
Teen Trump Ally Takes Victory Lap
In a series of bombshell social media posts, young conservative influencer Bo Loudon claimed he was the mastermind behind Lame’s detention, declaring: “I’ve been working with the patriots at President Trump’s DHS to make this happen.
The teenager, who describes Barron Trump as his “best friend” and claims to have organized Donald Trump’s interviews with streamers Adin Ross and Joe Rogan during the presidential campaign, posted what he alleged was a screenshot from the ICE database showing Lame being held at Henderson Detention Center in Nevada.
Far-left ILLEGAL ALIEN TikToker Khaby Lame was just arrested and is now in ICE custody under President Trump,” Loudon wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I discovered he was an illegal who overstayed an invalid VISA, evaded taxes, and I personally took action to have him deported. No one is above the law!”
However, community notes on X have cast doubt on some of Loudon’s claims, and there is no evidence that Lame is “far left” politically or evaded taxes.
From Met Gala to Airport Detention
Just weeks before his detention, Lame had been living the high life in America, attending the prestigious Met Gala on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala in New York City, where he donned a grey and cream suit celebrating the theme of Black Dandyism.
The influencer, who shot to fame during the COVID-19 pandemic after losing his factory job in Italy, had been in the US since April 30 – but authorities say he failed to leave before his visa expired.
Silent Star Stays Silent
True to his trademark style, Lame has remained completely silent about the incident on social media, continuing to post content as if nothing happened.
Within hours of his detention and departure from the US, he posted an Instagram Story that appeared to show Venice Beach, and a day later shared content from São Paulo, Brazil, suggesting he had quickly moved on from the American drama.
His latest TikTok video, posted after leaving the US, is a Minecraft sponsorship – business as usual for the social media sensation who reportedly earns millions from brand partnerships with companies including Boss, Binance, and his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
The high-profile detention comes amid President Donald Trump’s escalating immigration enforcement campaign, which has seen raids across the country including controversial operations in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests.
The timing is particularly notable as TikTok itself faces a potential ban in the United States unless its Chinese parent company sells the platform’s American operations.
Rise of the Silent King
Lame’s journey to social media superstardom is the stuff of legend. Born in Senegal, he moved to Italy when he was just one year old, growing up in the town of Chivasso near Turin.
After losing his factory job during the pandemic lockdown, he returned to his family’s apartment and began creating TikTok videos that would change his life forever.
His signature style – silently demonstrating simpler ways to accomplish tasks while giving exasperated looks to the camera – transcended language barriers and made him a global phenomenon. His deadpan reactions and dramatic gestures earned comparisons to Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean character.
In 2022, he achieved what seemed impossible – dethroning Charli D’Amelio to become TikTok’s most-followed creator. He also finally received Italian citizenship that same year after living in the country for over two decades.
The Fallout
While Lame has not publicly addressed the incident, his millions of fans have flooded his social media with comments. One supporter wrote: “Sad to hear. But laws have to be followed wherever you go. No exceptions. Even if you don’t agree with them. In any country, you have to follow THEIR laws, not your beliefs, wants, or desires.”
Loudon, meanwhile, wished Lame “the best of luck” and said he hopes “he’s able to come back as a law-abiding citizen.
As for whether the teenage Trump supporter really was responsible for the world’s biggest TikTok star’s detention? That remains as mysterious as one of Lame’s silent comedy sketches.
What’s certain is that even the king of TikTok isn’t above America’s immigration laws – and in the era of Trump’s crackdown, overstaying your welcome can lead to a very public exit, no matter how many followers you have.
