The “migrant influencer” encouraging others to invade the US and squat at the homes of citizens skipped out on authorities shortly after arriving in the country and is on the run from immigration officials, The Post can reveal.
Venezuelan national Leonel Moreno crossed the southern border illegally in April 2022 at Eagle Pass, Texas, and was enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, which allows federal authorities to track migrants using ankle monitors or other technology.
However, Moreno didn’t follow the rules and is now listed as an “absconder” from the program, according to internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents seen by The Post.
Moreno — who claims in his videos that he, his wife and daughter receive $350 a week from the federal government — appears to be hiding in plain sight, even posting a video in front of a police car from Gahanna, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.
Gahanna police told The Post they are aware of the videos, but added: “To date, our agency has had no contact with this individual and we are unaware of his location.”
Moreno was originally released into the US on parole due to a lack of space in detention facilities. This has previously meant migrants haven’t been fully interviewed and vetted by authorities — which usually takes around three days — before being let into the US.
John Fabbricatore, a former ICE field office director for the agency in Denver, told The Post that the Biden administration’s reliance on Alternatives to Detention, which currently includes over a million people, “is nothing short of a failure.”
“We have witnessed yet another individual who was allowed entry into the US under the ATD program, only to abscond and make TikTok videos explaining how to break the law. The question stands — how many thousands more are out there unaccounted for after fleeing this program?” said Fabbricatore, who is running to represent Colorado’s Sixth District.
Moreno has been seen living in Columbus. His listed point of contact in the US was Catholic Charities in Miami, according to ICE documents.
ICE in Miami mailed Moreno an immigration court date in November 2022 after he never appeared in person, according to sources.
If caught by ICE officers, Moreno would
“The Biden administration markets these policies as solutions, but in reality, it’s merely a smoke screen obscuring the chaos and failures at the border. We should demand transparency of this program and not continue to let this administration compromise the safety and integrity of our nation’s borders.” Fabbricatore added.
Moreno has become a TikTok influencer, encouraging “fellow Venezuelans” to squat in the homes of US citizens and calling President Biden “mi papa.”
However, on Thursday it appeared his profile on the platform had been deleted, although he continued to post on Instagram, with a video of him flauting $100 bills from a huge wad.
Moreno also frequently shows off supplies purchased using food stamps. He can also be seen on his Instagram waving a Social Security card while lying in bed with his baby.
On social media, he frequently boasts of his earnings from begging for cash, claiming he makes roughly $1,000 a day.