Venezuelan migrant influencer who sparked fury with TikTok squatting tips is being investigated on federal gun charges after brandishing assault rifle on Instagram
- According to reports, Venezuelan ‘migrant influencer’ Leonel Moreno is facing possible federal firearms charges
- Moreno was arrested in Columbus, Ohio, in March after failing to meet his parole conditions after illegally entering the country in 2022.
- He is currently being held at the Geauga County Jail on behalf of ICE
A Venezuelan “migrant influencer” who advised migrants to squat in the homes of U.S. citizens is facing possible federal firearms charges, according to reports.
Leonel Moreno, 27, who recently posed with a firearm on his popular Instagram account, has been designated an Immigration and Customs Enforcement suspect by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. reported the New York Post.
ICE is now considering filing firearms charges against Moreno, according to internal federal documents seen by the Post.
Sources told the Post that the charges are likely related to violations of the Gun Control Act, which prevents parolees from possessing, shipping, transporting or receiving firearms or ammunition.
Moreno is currently in federal custody after failing to show up for mandatory check-ins with agents as part of a parole agreement approved by the Biden administration after illegally entering the country in 2022.
Leonel Moreno was arrested in Columbus, Ohio on March 29 and is being held at the Geauga County Jail on behalf of ICE
In recent social media posts, Moreno brandished a large firearm at a gun shop and asked his followers which gun they liked best
“If you want a gun, you can buy them in stores,” Moreno explained in an Instagram post
He was arrested on March 29 in Columbus, Ohio and is being held at the Geauga County Jail on behalf of ICE.
Any further charges would “escalate” the case against Moreno, former ICE field office director John Fabbricatore told the Post.
“Charges under (Gun Control Act section) 922.g are a serious matter and could have significant legal consequences for Moreno.
“This should be a warning to all illegal aliens that the unlawful possession of a firearm will lead to criminal charges and hopefully a conviction,” Fabbricatore explained.
In recent social media posts, Moreno brandished a large firearm at a gun shop and asked his followers which gun they liked best.
“Thank God I already have my driver’s license,” he said in a post.
“If you want a gun, you can buy it in stores,” he explained in another article.
Other posts showed him waving fistfuls of cash and claiming to have benefited from government programs.
Other posts showed him waving fistfuls of cash and claiming to have benefited from government programs
Leonel Moreno’s TikTok account @leitooficial_25, where he amassed half a million followers, has reportedly been suspended
Veronica Torres, right, wife of TikTok Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno, left
Moreno previously caused chaos after sharing tips on how to sneak into vacant houses and make a living off the US government on his TikTok account @leitooficial_25, where he had over half a million followers before the account was suspended. He now posts under a new account.
The original story helped officials track down Moreno after he went missing during the Alternatives to Detention program.
Moreno also made headlines in February after demanding that Venezuelans unite to help a 15-year-old migrant accused of shooting a tourist and killing an NYPD officer in Times Square.
His content is being widely shared as Venezuelan migrants fleeing their country’s collapse become one of the largest nationalities arriving at the US-Mexico border.