![An ICE agent assists TSA in screening passengers at a security checkpoint at O'Hare International Airport on March 27 in Chicago, Illinois. | [Getty Images]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/147896817/273e524c25c7cc2bac0bfe25b364b2e572de339b587da406dff1ff2287b9b543)
Overview
- DHS announced Monday that ICE agents took Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti into custody on May 13 and that she is being held pending removal.
- Federal officials allege Occhipinti drove two Tren de Aragua–linked gunmen to a Dec. 2, 2024 house‑party shooting in Chicago that killed three people.
- Authorities say multiple weapons were found in her vehicle after the attack and that she helped the suspects evade police.
- Chicago police arrested Occhipinti on weapons charges on Dec. 5, 2024 but released her without notifying ICE, and the Cook County prosecutor later declined to pursue charges.
- The case highlights DHS concern about sanctuary policies, notes Tren de Aragua’s role in U.S. violence, and raises local questions about her prior work as a teacher and about information sharing with federal authorities.