![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
- Federal agents say Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti drove two alleged Tren de Aragua gunmen to a Dec. 2, 2024, Chicago house‑party that left three people dead and several others wounded.
- DHS and HSI say Occhipinti was first taken into local custody on Dec. 5, 2024, weapons were found in her car, and she was arrested by ICE on May 13 and remains detained pending removal in Grayson County, Kentucky.
- The department links the two shooters to the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua and says local decisions not to notify ICE allowed suspects to avoid federal custody; Cook County prosecutors and local officials dispute DHS’s account and say the police investigation is ongoing.
- Officials report Occhipinti entered the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program in October 2021 and overstayed her authorized departure date, and DHS says she previously worked as a teacher in the Elgin area though the specific school has not been disclosed to federal agents.
- The case highlights tensions over sanctuary‑style policies, federal removal efforts against alleged transnational gang affiliates, and possible effects on local‑federal cooperation and school community trust as immigration and criminal inquiries continue.