TikToker hands out machetes, alcohol to homeless people in US cities for ‘clicks and views’

Keith Castillo, who posts under the name “povwolfy,” has shared videos from Austin, New Orleans, and Little Rock in recent weeks showing him handing out 18-inch stainless-steel machetes and liquor bottles. One clip posted on Thanksgiving accumulated more than 14 million views across platforms. In the video, Castillo offers a packaged machete to a man on the street, who replies, “Hell yeah, man.” The caption on the post reads, “Keeping the homeless in the streets.”

Castillo said he purchased the Gordon-brand blades in bulk from Harbor Freight for under $5 each. In additional videos, he gives out unwrapped machetes along with vodka handles and miniature bottles of Fireball whisky. He told The Post he keeps about 30 machetes in his vehicle and films in one city for several days before relocating.

The 29-year-old said he plans to continue the tour, listing New York City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles as upcoming stops. “I should be in New York in January,” he said, adding he intends to hand out “a bunch of machetes and fireballs there, too," he told the New York Post.

Law enforcement agencies have not issued guidance on the legality of the stunt. Castillo claimed police informed him he was not breaking any laws by distributing the weapons. Retired NYPD Sgt. and John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Joseph Giacalone called the activity dangerous, stating, “That sounds like a cocktail for disaster — alcohol and machetes. Could we get any dumber?” He noted that while possession of a machete is generally not illegal, the combination raises clear safety concerns.

Reaction online was harsh, with users arguing the stunt risks violence. One commenter wrote, “Keeping them safe [no], making them dangerous [yes].”

Castillo dismissed concerns about enabling substance abuse or violence, saying the items are meant for “tool purposes” and that the stunt is motivated by online engagement. “Honestly I really don’t care bro, it’s good for the clicks and views,” he said.

Many of the videos on Castillo’s account include embedded promotional content for betting platform Stake, a gambling site.