(NewsReady.com) – Leonel Moreno crossed the border illegally in 2022. Immigration authorities released the Venezuelan migrant and gave him a court date. He began a TikTok account and bragged about bilking American taxpayers. Now, he’s on the run.
Moreno amassed over 500,000 followers on his TikTok account before the platform shut it down because it was promoting criminal activity. Before the social media account was blacklisted, the migrant went viral with videos teaching others how to break into vacant homes and live.
Moreno claimed he and his family were earning $350 per week from the government. He alleged he was making $1,000 a day as a panhandler and showed off items he said he bought with food stamps. In many videos, he’s holding a baby that he appears to use to scam people.
In one video, the migrant influencer told his followers that he didn’t like working and there were “a million tricks, a million things to do” in America to earn money. In another video, he said the “American Dream is real.” He was even seen flashing a wad of cash in a video.
While Moreno was making videos bragging about his life in the US, he was also allegedly running from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because he’d removed his electronic monitoring device. When authorities released him on parole, his point of contact was in Miami. He didn’t show up for his scheduled appointments with immigration, which put ICE on his tail.
On March 26, Moreno posted videos on what appeared to be a new TikTok account. He claimed he was in danger and that he needed protection in the US. He told his supporters that they needed to pay attention to what was happening to him. He alleged that “powerful people” were threatening him but didn’t provide any names.
ICE officials reportedly believe Moreno is living in Columbus, Ohio. He will almost certainly face deportation if captured.
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