A Venezuelan migrant who gained widespread attention for boasting about US welfare benefits and encouraging illegal border crossers to squat in American homes has been deported back to his home country. Leonel Moreno, whose viral TikTok videos sparked outrage, was removed as part of the Trump administration’s push to tighten immigration policies.
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Moreno, widely known for his controversial TikTok videos boasting about welfare benefits and making inflammatory remarks, was sent back this week, according to a report by the New York Post. However, his departure was not without drama—he allegedly caused a disturbance on the deportation flight, prompting authorities to place him in a separate section under heightened security.
Illegal entry and defying immigration orders
Moreno first entered the US illegally via Texas in April 2022. After being released, he failed to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-ins, which led to his arrest in Ohio in March 2024.
An immigration judge had ordered his removal in October 2023, but at the time, Venezuela was not accepting deportation flights from the US. With the Trump administration reinstating removals to the country, Moreno was subsequently transferred to an ICE detention centre in Texas before his deportation.
Viral videos sparked public outrage
{{/usCountry}}An immigration judge had ordered his removal in October 2023, but at the time, Venezuela was not accepting deportation flights from the US. With the Trump administration reinstating removals to the country, Moreno was subsequently transferred to an ICE detention centre in Texas before his deportation.
Viral videos sparked public outrage
{{/usCountry}}During his time in the US, Moreno became infamous for his controversial social media posts. He frequently flaunted stacks of cash and declared he didn’t “cross the Rio Grande to work like a slave.”
His videos also revealed how he leveraged his US-born child to gain online traction, while claiming that his daughter’s birth was fully funded by “Papa Biden.” These remarks, perceived as mocking the US welfare system, fuelled backlash online.
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ICE was also investigating Moreno’s possible history as a sergeant in Venezuela’s military intelligence service. Additionally, his social media activity, which included posts featuring firearms, raised further concerns.
Claims of persecution
Before his deportation, Moreno insisted that he was a victim of injustice in both Venezuela and the US.
“I came here to the United States because of persecution in my country… but they’re doing the same thing to me here,” he told reporters.
Despite his claims, his removal remains one of the most notable under Trump’s latest immigration crackdown.