U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested an illegal alien and former Illinois teacher accused of aiding a December 2024 mass shooting in Chicago tied to the Tren de Aragua gang, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti, 32, an illegal alien from Venezuela who also holds Italian citizenship, is accused of driving the two gunmen involved in the attack at a Chicago house party that left three people dead and several others wounded.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations Chicago’s Human Trafficking and Smuggling Group took Moreno Occhipinti into custody late on the night of May 13, 2026. She remains detained pending removal from the country.
Authorities identified the two shooters as Ricardo Granadillo Padilla and Edward Martinez Cermeno. Both men, along with several of their associates, were previously arrested and deported after the shooting, according to DHS.
Chicago police recovered multiple firearms from Moreno Occhipinti’s vehicle immediately following the attack. Investigators believe she assisted Granadillo Padilla and Martinez Cermeno in fleeing from law enforcement.
The Chicago Police Department arrested Moreno Occhipinti on December 5 on charges of unlawful use of weapons and weapon offense. DHS said she was released from custody without notification to ICE. The Cook County State Attorney’s office subsequently declined to pursue criminal prosecution of the subjects, prompting HSI Chicago to take its own enforcement action, according to the agency.
Moreno Occhipinti entered the United States in October 2021 under the Visa Waiver Program and was required to depart by January 2, 2022. She remained in the country illegally past that deadline, DHS said.
“This illegal alien who used to work as a teacher was involved in a mass shooting in Chicago that killed three people and injured others,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Although Chicago police arrested this illegal alien shortly after the shooting, sanctuary politicians released her from jail without notifying ICE. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, DHS is doing the job that sanctuary politicians in Illinois refuse to do: putting the American people first and removing these dangerous criminals from our communities.”
HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino also commented on the arrest.
“Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti’s actions were calculated and deliberate, leading to the loss of three lives,” Scarpino said. “I’m proud of our agents for pursuing this case to the end, ensuring that everyone who helped facilitate this mass homicide is brought to justice.”
