U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents recently arrested a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who urged other unlawful migrants to adopt squatting practices in the U.S. on TikTok.
In a statement, ICE pointed out that Leonel Moreno is a Venezuelan national who was previously placed in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program by Border Patrol and was told to report to Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office within 60 days of reaching the U.S.
“Leonel Moreno is an unlawfully present citizen of Venezuela, who illegally entered the country April 23, 2022,” the agency said. “Moreno was placed into the ATD [Alternatives to Detention] program by Border Patrol and was told to report to Enforcement and Removal Operations office within 60 days of arriving at his destination.”
“Moreno did not report as required,” ICE added in the statement. “On March 29, 2024, Moreno was arrested in Gahanna, Ohio by officers with ERO Detroit’s Columbus office and is currently detained pending further immigration proceedings.”
Noted migrant now promotes squatting as a business model. pic.twitter.com/sy8tTIMuzn
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) March 20, 2024
The Daily Wire pointed out that Moreno has used social media to show other illegal immigrants how to find loopholes in U.S. laws.
In one of his latest TikTok videos, the Venezuelan national told followers to “seize” uninhabited homes across America by squatting, claiming that he has friends who have taken over seven homes using such strategies.
“My people! I’ve been squatting in a house in the United States, since I found out that there is a law that says that if a house is not occupied we can seize it,” Moreo said on the platform.
In the video, Moreno claimed the U.S. has the “squatter’s law” in effect.
“And I think that this will be my next business, squatting in abandoned houses. I already got some cheat codes from my African friends. And they told me that they have already seized about seven houses,” he continued.
Following Moreno’s comments, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a law targeting squatters in Florida, referring to the practice as a “scam.”
“You are not going to be able to commandeer somebody’s private property and expect to get away with it,” DeSantis said during a press conference.
