Leonel Moreno, an illegal Venezuelan immigrant who went viral earlier this year after posting a series of TikTok videos encouraging other migrants to squat in vacant American homes and bragging about the money he made by scamming government benefits, is now believed to have served in a military intelligence unit in Venezuela before crossing the US border.
Learn more about the 2024 Vault Conference and secure your ticket today!
First reported by the New York Post, sources within the US Department of Homeland Security have been investigating Moreno’s background ever since he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March. According to authorities, the 27-year-old migrant appears to have been a sergeant of Venezuela’s general directorate of military intelligence prior to entering the US in 2022. However, vetting Venezuelan immigrants through official channels remains a difficult task given the government’s refusal to cooperate with their American counterparts.
Moreno is currently incarcerated in Ohio awaiting a trial with an immigration judge, but his lack of funds for an attorney has repeatedly delayed the process. This marks a rapid reversal of fortune for the would-be TikTok star, as he previously made a habit of flashing stacks of hundred-dollar bills on camera and bragging that government benefits let him support his entire family without needing to work.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
Got a hot scoop or an idea for a story? Connect with the VT writers on Minnect!
Add comment