Illegal ‘migrant influencer’ Leonel Moreno, who mocked America on social media in several viral videos, has been nabbed by federal immigration authorities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) fugitive operations officers arrested Moreno in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday and he is currently being held at Geauga County Jail, according to ICE records.
The arrest comes after The Post exclusively reported how Moreno had skipped out on ICE soon after crossing the southern border into Texas illegally in 2022 and was now wanted by authorities.
In a statement to The Post, an ICE spokesperson said: “Leonel Moreno is an unlawfully present citizen of Venezuela, who illegally entered the country April 23, 2022.
“Moreno was placed into the Alternatives To Detention program by Border Patrol and was told to report to Enforcement and Removal Operations office within 60 days of arriving at his destination.
“Moreno did not report as required. On March 29, 2024, Moreno was arrested in Gahanna, Ohio by officers with ERO Detroit’s Columbus office and is currently detained pending further immigration proceedings.”
While in the US, Moreno used his various social media channels to encourage other migrants to invade the country and squat the homes of American citizens, all while waving around wads of cash and flaunting what he said were government handouts.
In one video, Moreno could be seen holding a social security card. He also frequently boasted of his earnings made from begging for cash.
“I didn’t cross the Rio Grande to work like a slave,” Moreno said in one Instagram clip. “I came to the US to mark my territory.
“You’re hurt because I make more than you without much work while you work like slaves, understand?” Moreno said in another social media post.
“That’s the difference between you and me. I’m always going to make lots of money without much work, and you’re always going to be exploited and miserable and insignificant.”
Tiktok recently shut down Moreno’s account, which had roughly 500,000 followers. His Instagram, which was still active Friday, has more than 17,000 followers.
On his ban from Tiktok, Moreno said: “Yes, they closed my TikTok account, but I keep earning on Facebook and on Instagram. I won’t earn the same, but I am going to get my TikTok account back. I am going to keep earning money.”
When he was released into the US after crossing the border illegally, Moreno was enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, where he was mointored by a tracking device.
But soon after his release, Moreno stopped complying and failed to show for a check-in with authorities, internal ICE records reviewed by The Post showed.
Internal ICE records reviewed by The Post showed immigration officials were aware Moreno “has been on national news for being viral on TikTok encouraging illegal immigration.”
ICE didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
As diplomatic ties between the US and Venezuela are currently strained, it was not immediately clear if Moreno would be a candidate for deportation or would be held in ICE custody.
