Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno is FINALLY arrested by ICE in Ohio after sparking fury with TikTok videos sharing squatting tips on how to invade homes
- Leonel Moreno, 27, was arrested in Columbus, Ohio, Fox reports
- He had been wanted since April 2022 after illegally entering the country through Eagle Pass, Texas
Fugitive Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno has finally been arrested by ICE after nearly two years on the run.
The 27-year-old was arrested in Columbus, Ohio and is now in federal custody, Fox’s Bill Melugin reports.
Moreno has been hunted by ICE since he illegally crossed the border at Eagle Pass, Texas, in April 2022.
He was released as part of the Alternatives to Detention Program, which allows migrants on parole to go free while officials follow them until their next court hearing.
Moreno was scheduled to appear in court in Miami in November 2022, but he never showed up.
Fugitive Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno has finally been arrested by ICE after nearly two years on the run
![Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno is FINALLY arrested by ICE in Ohio after sparking fury with TikTok videos sharing squatting tips on how to invade homes 2 Moreno became infamous for sharing tips on how to get into vacant homes in the US. Pictured: Moreno's mugshot from April 2022](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1711746363_657_Venezuelan-migrant-Leonel-Moreno-is-FINALLY-arrested-by-ICE-in.jpeg)
Moreno became infamous for sharing tips on how to get into vacant homes in the US. Pictured: Moreno’s mugshot from April 2022
The fugitive recently made headlines after sharing tips on how to raid vacant houses and make a living off the US government on his TikTok account @leitooficial_25, where he had more than half a million followers before the account was suspended.
The videos appear to have led ICE to his whereabouts, as he was previously difficult to track.
On Tuesday, he posted a series of bizarre videos of himself crying from a new account claiming he was a victim of persecution.
‘I am in danger of dying in the US! I need protection! I am being persecuted! My account has been blocked!’ He said as liquid dripped from his nose.
“My people, I want you to pay attention to what is happening, because my family is in danger. They deleted my TikTok accounts. I have received threats from powerful people. Staff!’
In another video, he added: “My people, they got what they wanted! Jealousy has reached my family! Everything that happens is because of your wickedness!
“They want to silence me!”
TikTok told DailyMail.com that it had suspended Moreno’s original account because it does not allow users to promote criminal content.
![Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno is FINALLY arrested by ICE in Ohio after sparking fury with TikTok videos sharing squatting tips on how to invade homes 4 Some of his other videos show him begging for money on the street with his daughter](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1711746366_532_Venezuelan-migrant-Leonel-Moreno-is-FINALLY-arrested-by-ICE-in.jpeg)
Leonel Moreno’s TikTok account @leitooficial_25, where he had amassed half a million followers, was later suspended
![Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno is FINALLY arrested by ICE in Ohio after sparking fury with TikTok videos sharing squatting tips on how to invade homes 6 His videos show him bragging about using the financial assistance he supposedly receives from the government to help his toddler buy a car](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1711746369_608_Venezuelan-migrant-Leonel-Moreno-is-FINALLY-arrested-by-ICE-in.jpeg)
His videos show him bragging about using the financial assistance he supposedly receives from the government to help his toddler buy a car
But it appears he has no plans to stop posting, as he shared a video of himself counting $100 bills on Wednesday, bragging that he doesn’t have to work to make money.
In one of his now-viral videos, Moreno instructed his followers how to “invade” American homes and invoke squatters’ rights, claiming that under U.S. law “if a house is not occupied, we confiscate it can take’.
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.
The fugitive traveled to the US with his wife and young daughter, who regularly appears in his clips.
The family reportedly received $350 a week from the federal government.
The videos have been widely shared as Venezuelan migrants fleeing their country’s collapse become one of the largest nationalities arriving at the US-Mexico border.
But many Venezuelans have taken to social media to denounce Moreno, accusing him of exploiting their situation to become an influencer while spreading hatred against migrants who plan to work for a better life in The United States.
Venezuelans represent the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 7.7 million people living outside their country – even larger than Ukrainians and Syrians.
It is a rare case of mass migration from a country that is not at war but has experienced one of the most extreme reversals in recent history following the socialist takeover two decades ago.
Venezuela has suffered political, economic and humanitarian crises over the past decade, making food and other necessities unaffordable for those left behind. The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring Latin America, but many have come to the United States in the past three years.
DailyMail.com has contacted ICE for comment.