Federal authorities have arrested a 32-year-old woman living illegally in the United States who is accused of serving as the getaway driver in a brutal 2024 mᴀss shooting tied to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua that left three people ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and five others injured at a Chicago house party.

Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti, a Venezuelan national with dual Italian citizenship, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on May 13. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), she had overstayed her visa and was living illegally in Illinois at the time of the shooting.

Occhipinti entered the United States legally in October 2021 under the Visa Waiver Program but failed to depart by the required date of January 2, 2022. DHS officials say she remained in the country unlawfully and was working as a teacher at a school in the Chicago suburb of Elgin.

On the night of December 2, 2024, authorities allege that Occhipinti drove two suspected gunmen — Ricardo Granadillo Padilla and Edward Martinez Cermeno — to the scene of the shooting. Multiple weapons were later found inside her vehicle. Investigators believe she helped the gunmen flee the area after the attack.

Although Chicago police arrested Occhipinti shortly after the shooting on weapons-related charges, she was released from custody without ICE being notified. DHS officials have strongly criticized Chicago’s sanctuary policies, which prevent local authorities from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.

“Although Chicago police arrested this illegal alien shortly after the shooting, sanctuary politicians released her from jail without notifying ICE,” said DHS Acting ᴀssistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “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.”

The two alleged gunmen were eventually deported after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office declined to prosecute them. Martinez Cermeno had briefly been held in ICE custody but was released in January 2025 after a federal judge ruled that prosecutors had not met the burden of proof to keep him detained.

HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino described Occhipinti’s alleged role in the shooting as deliberate and calculated. “Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti’s actions were calculated and deliberate, leading to the loss of three lives,” he said. “I’m proud of our agents for pursuing this case to the end, ensuring that everyone who helped facilitate this mᴀss homicide is brought to justice.”

Occhipinti is currently being held at the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, Kentucky, as immigration proceedings continue. Illinois officials have refused to disclose the name of the school where she worked as a teacher, despite requests from federal authorities.

The arrest has renewed debate over sanctuary city policies and their impact on public safety, particularly when individuals accused of serious crimes are released without federal immigration authorities being notified. DHS has framed the case as an example of why stronger cooperation between local and federal law enforcement is necessary to remove criminal illegal immigrants from American communities.

As the investigation into the December 2024 shooting continues, federal authorities remain focused on holding accountable anyone who played a role in the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly attack.