- Venezuelan ‘migrant influencer’ Leonel Moreno is facing potential federal firearms charges, according to reports
- Moreno was arrested in Columbus, Ohio in March after failing to fulfil his parole conditions after enter the country illegally in 2022
- He is currently being held at The Geauga County Jail on behalf of ICE
A Venezuelan ‘migrant influencer’ who advised migrants to squat in US citizens homes is facing potential federal firearms charges, according to reports.
Leonel Moreno, 27, who recently posed with a firearm on his popular Instagram account, has been flagged to Immigration and Customs Enforcement by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York Post reported.
ICE are now considering filing firearm charges against Moreno, according to internal federal documents seen by the Post.
Sources told the Post the charges likely relate to violations of the Gun Control Act which prevents parolees from possessing, shipping, transporting or receiving firearms or ammunition.
Moreno is currently in federal custody after failing to turn up to mandatory check-ins with officers as part of a a Biden administration-approved parole scheme after he entered the country illegally in 2022.
Leonel Moreno, was arrested in Columbus, Ohio, on March 29 and is being held at The Geauga County Jail on behalf of ICE
![In recent social media posts Moreno brandished a large firearm in a gun store and asking his followers which weapon they like best](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/20/83209591-13269183-image-a-48_1712173796642.jpg)
In recent social media posts Moreno brandished a large firearm in a gun store and asking his followers which weapon they like best
!['If you want a gun you can buy them in stores,' Moreno explained in one Instagram post](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/20/83209593-13269183-image-a-47_1712173793253.jpg)
‘If you want a gun you can buy them in stores,’ Moreno explained in one Instagram post
He was arrested in Columbus, Ohio, on March 29 and is being held at The Geauga County Jail on behalf of ICE.
Any possible further charges would ‘escalate’ the case against Moreno, former ICE field office director John Fabbricatore told the Post.
‘Charges under [Gun Control Act section] 922.g are a serious matter and can result in significant legal consequences for Moreno.
‘This should be a warning to any illegal aliens that possessing a firearm unlawfully will result in criminal charges and hopefully lead to a conviction,’ Fabbricatore explained.
In recent social media posts Moreno brandished a large firearm in a gun store and asking his followers which weapon they like best.
‘Thank God I already have my license,’ he said in one post.
‘If you want a gun you can buy them in stores,’ he explained in another.
Other posts showed him waving fistfuls of cash, claiming to have benefitted from government programs.
![Other posts showed him waving fistfuls of cash claiming to have benefitted from government programs](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/21/83209785-13269183-image-a-64_1712175047244.jpg)
Other posts showed him waving fistfuls of cash claiming to have benefitted from government programs
![Leonel Moreno's TikTok account @leitooficial_25, where he had amassed half a million followers, has reportedly been suspended](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/21/82957377-13269183-Leonel_Moreno_s_TikTok_account_leitooficial_25_where_he_had_amas-a-4_1712175516732.jpg)
Leonel Moreno’s TikTok account @leitooficial_25, where he had amassed half a million followers, has reportedly been suspended
![Veronica Torres, right, the wife of TikTok Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno, left](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/21/83077331-13269183-Veronica_Torres_right_the_wife_of_TikTok_Venezuelan_migrant_Leon-a-1_1712175458366.jpg)
Veronica Torres, right, the wife of TikTok Venezuelan migrant Leonel Moreno, left
Moreno previously caused chaos after sharing tips on how to invade vacant homes and live off the US government on his TikTok account @leitooficial_25, where he had over half a million followers before the account was suspended. He is now posting under a new account.
The original account helped officials track Moreno down after he went missing while on the Alternatives to Detention program.
Moreno also made headlines in February, after he demanded Venezuelans unite to help a 15-year-old migrant accused of shooting a tourist and trying to kill a NYPD officer in Times Square.
His content has been widely shared as Venezuelan migrants fleeing their country’s collapse become one of the largest nationalities arriving at the US-Mexico border.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk