David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images
- The "Take Our Border Back" convoy has had a rocky start.
- WIRED said the so-called 'God's army' had a lower-than-expected turnout.
- It reported the group has also dealt with internal disputes, a lost vehicle, and an exiled member.
A convoy of vehicles headed to Texas, organized by a group called "Take Our Border Back," has had a chaotic start, including slashed tires and a stranded participant, WIRED reported.
Convoy organizers, one of whom described it as "God's army," Vice reported, had aspirations of mobilizing tens of thousands of trucks to stop migrants from crossing the Texas-Mexico border into the US.
But despite an influx of donations, plenty of media attention, and a growing social-media following, things haven't gone exactly to plan.
WIRED reported that it all started to go wrong before the convoy even set off.
Some attendees woke up to find their car tires slashed outside a hotel they'd been staying at, one of the convoy's streamers said, WIRED reported.
To add to the chaos, WIRED reported that there was even a last-minute scramble to find a meeting point after the original location's owners said the convoy would not be able to gather there.
The group met in a parking lot in Norfolk, Virginia, where around 20 vehicles gathered. This was a far cry from the numbers the group had been calling for, according to video footage reviewed by WIRED.
The magazine said that Craig Hudgins, one of the organizers, held out hope and claimed without evidence that "40,000 truckers from all over the country and Canada" would soon be joining.
WIRED reported that no other trucks joined the convoy that day.
After departing an hour behind schedule, WIRED reported that one of the vehicles almost immediately got lost, citing messages posted in the Zello walkie-talkie app.
It said the group also argued over accommodations during a planning meeting later that day.
Heightened tensions may have led to one participant being barred from the convoy.
WIRED reported that, at one point, the convoy's main bus pulled over onto a highway shoulder and kicked out one of the passengers.
It was unclear why the man was ejected, but he was left stranded in Florence, South Carolina, without his wallet, according to details from a livestream of someone in contact with the man, WIRED reported.
The "Take Our Border Back" convoy did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
The group stated that some of its goals are to stop illegal immigration immediately and to secure the border.
Migration rates are reaching unprecedented levels, with US officials reporting that about 300,000 people tried to cross the border last month.
How exactly the convoy plans to confront migrants at the border and stop them from entering the US remains unclear.