'Migrant influencer' urging illegals to squat in US homes on run from authorities: report
The Venezuelan TikToker who went viral last month after defending illegal immigrant criminals and urging migrants to squat in U.S. homes is now on the run from immigration authorities, according to a new report.
Leonel Moreno has claimed that his family, which includes his wife and young daughter, has received $350 a week in government handouts since entering the U.S. illegally.
On top of that, he had claimed to be making $1,000 a day as a TikTok influencer. However, his account, which at one point had more than 500,000 followers, appeared inactive Wednesday morning.
His verified Instagram account, however, has about 17,000 followers and posted two videos Wednesday morning showing him waving a stack of $100 bills as he posed with his baby girl.
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Moreno allegedly cut off his ankle monitor after receiving border parole and is now listed as an "absconder" from immigration authorities, the New York Post reported Wednesday, citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moreno reportedly received border parole in April 2022 as part of the government's Alternatives to Detention program, which is supposed to track catch-and-release migrants when there is not enough room to detain them.
Moreno previously told his audience he planned to make a business out of "invading" abandoned houses and taking them over with squatters' rights laws, then selling them for a profit.
Although he has allegedly listed his immigration sponsor as a church charity in Miami, he has reportedly been living in Columbus, Ohio.
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Moreno shocked the public last month when he bragged about living on the American taxpayers' dime and called on his TikTok followers to "unite" behind the suspect in a shooting in New York City's Times Square.
Illegal immigration from Venezuela has become increasingly visible as one of the country's most notorious gangs, Tren de Aragua, is also working to establish a foothold on U.S. soil.
The gang has been linked to an attack on police officers in New York City, an international cellphone robbery ring and, indirectly, the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
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The gang has a notable presence in New York City, Florida, Texas, Illinois and Georgia, authorities have warned.