The Trump administration has confirmed the deportation of Leonel Moreno, a Venezuelan illegal alien who went viral last year for creating TikTok videos instructing other illegals on how to exploit U.S. squatting laws by occupying vacant homes.
A rapid response account for the administration shared a post about Moreno, who refers to himself online as “the migrant influencer,” along with the update.
Update:
He has been deported https://t.co/OrDNB7jN8W
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 28, 2025
The update included a waving emoji.
“I didn’t cross the Rio Grande to work like a slave,” Moreno said in one of his viral TikTik videos. “I came to the U.S. to mark my territory.”
According to reports, Moreno illegally entered the U.S. on April 23, 2022, at Eagle Pass, Texas. He was placed in ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program but failed to report within 60 days, leading to his arrest in March 2024.
An Ohio judge ordered Moreno to be deported in September, but Venezuela was refusing to accept deportation flights at that time.
The Trump administration revoked Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans on February 1. The president has also secured an agreement with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro for him to take his people back.
