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The mugshot of a “migrant influencer” on the lam in the US after fleeing immigration officials has surfaced for the first time — as the freeloading Venezuelan took to social media again to mock American taxpayers for working like slaves.
Leonel Moreno, who has made a name for himself on TikTok by encouraging others to invade the US and squat at the homes of citizens, skipped out on ICE authorities soon after crossing the southern border into Texas illegally in 2022.
The Venezuelan national was originally enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program and was cut loose on parole due to a lack of space in detention facilities.
He was quickly listed as an “absconder” from the program when he failed to show up for a later court date, internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement records show.
In his original mugshot, the so-called migrant influencer can be seen staring blankly ahead — a far cry from the gleeful social media videos he’s been posting since being on the run.
It comes as a defiant Moreno posted a flurry of videos to Instagram on Wednesday of himself flashing wads of cash — the same day he was booted from TikTok over similar content.
“I didn’t cross the Rio Grande to work like a slave,” Moreno said in one of the five Instagram clips. “I came to the US to mark my territory.”
As he waved a stack of $100 bills in front of the camera, the fugitive migrant claimed to have enough money to support himself, his wife and baby for at least 18 months without having to work.
“You’re hurt because I make more than you without much work while you work like slaves, understand?” Moreno said. “That’s the difference between you and me. I’m always going to make lots of money without much work, and you’re always going to be exploited and miserable and insignificant.”
He later shrugged off his TikTok ban, insisting: “Yes, they closed my TikTok account, but I keep earning on Facebook and on Instagram. I won’t earn the same, but I am going to get my TikTok account back. I am going to keep earning money.”
Prior to being shut down, Moreno had boasted roughly 500,000 TikTok followers. His Instagram, which was still active as of Thursday, has 17,500 followers.
In the internal ICE records, immigration officials noted that Moreno “has been on national news for being viral on TikTok encouraging illegal immigration.”
Prior to being shut down, Moreno had boasted roughly 500,000 TikTok followers. His Instagram, which was still active as of Thursday, has 17,500 followers.
The firebrand influencer, who frequently boasts of his earnings from begging for cash and obtaining food stamps, has also taken to informing other migrants how they can seize homes using squatter’s rights.
While local and immigration authorities say they are unaware of Moreno’s current location, he appears to be hiding in plain sight — having posted video in front of a local police car in Gahanna, Ohio.
John Fabbricatore, a former ICE field office director for the agency, told The Post this week that migrants who abscond from the Alternatives to Detention program are likely not going to be tracked down by the feds — and will probably only come onto ICE’s radar again if they’re arrested by local cops.
“The ICE Alternatives to Detention program, despite its multibillion-dollar budget, is failing to meet necessary standards and has alarmingly high absconder rates. ICE fails to track down absconders and instead just removes them from the program,” Fabbricatore said.
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