Leonel Moreno, a 27-year-old Venezuelan national and self-proclaimed “migrant influencer,” has been charged with hate crimes and child exploitation by Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab. This development follows Moreno’s deportation from the United States on March 28, 2025, after entering the country illegally in 2022.
During his unauthorized stay in the U.S., Moreno gained notoriety on TikTok under the handle “Leito Oficial.” He posted videos advising illegal migrants on methods to occupy abandoned American homes by exploiting “squatter’s rights.”Additionally, Moreno boasted about receiving substantial financial aid from the U.S. government through his U.S.-born daughter, suggesting that having children in the U.S. could provide financial benefits without the need for employment.
Upon his return to Venezuela, authorities detained Moreno and announced plans to prosecute him for disseminating content that allegedly incites hatred against Venezuelan citizens. Attorney General Saab also accused Moreno of exploiting his underage daughter to illicitly profit from his online activities.
Venezuela’s “anti-hate speech” law, enacted in 2017, has been employed by the Maduro regime to target individuals and dissidents for purportedly spreading hateful content. The law’s broad and ambiguous definitions have raised concerns about its use as a tool for political persecution.
Moreno’s case underscores the complexities and potential consequences faced by individuals who engage in controversial activities across international borders, particularly those involving the exploitation of social media platforms for disseminating contentious content.
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. Although an Ohio judge ordered his deportation in September, Venezuela had been refusing to accept deportation flights at the time.
The Trump administration took decisive action, revoking Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans on February 1 and securing an agreement with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to take his citizens back. With that agreement in place, Moreno was successfully deported.
