A Venezuelan migrant who gained notoriety on social media for flaunting cash and posting advice on squatting in vacant homes has been deported from the United States. Leonel Moreno, 27, was sent back to Venezuela this week after President Donald Trump resumed deportations to the country.
Moreno caused a disturbance on the deportation flight, prompting authorities to move him to a high-security section of the plane, according to the New York Post. Upon arrival in Venezuela, he flashed a thumbs-up as he was led off the aircraft. Venezuela's Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, said the TikToker was 'welcome' back.
Moreno had been on the run from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since he and his wife illegally crossed the border at Eagle Pass, Texas, in April 2022. He was enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program but failed to appear for a court date in Miami in November 2022, becoming an 'absconder'. He resurfaced on ICE's radar last year after his viral videos encouraging illegal migrants to exploit the welfare system and occupy homes drew widespread condemnation.
In March 2024, Moreno was arrested in Columbus, Ohio, for violating his parole terms. He claimed he could not afford a lawyer despite previously displaying stacks of cash online. While in prison, he released a video complaining of mistreatment, saying he faced persecution in the US similar to what he fled in Venezuela. His wife, Vernonia Torres, said she was barred from visiting him and did not know his location.
Authorities also flagged Moreno for posting images of himself with guns on Instagram and suspected he had served as a sergeant in the Venezuelan military. His deportation marks a significant step in the Trump administration's renewed efforts to remove illegal migrants to Venezuela.
