DOJ Charges 28 in California with Election Crimes

The U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged 28 individuals in California, all of whom are green card holders, with election-related offenses.

These charges, announced on Monday, include allegations of unlawful voting by noncitizens, false claims of U. S. citizenship to vote or register to vote, and actions that allegedly deprived California residents of a fair and impartial election process.

Federal law enforcement arrested 11 of these individuals on the same day, as part of "Operation Protect the Vote," a coordinated effort by all four California-based United States Attorney’s Offices to combat election fraud. The DOJ has also filed an emergency request in federal court to stop California from processing ballots returned by individuals on the voter rolls who are allegedly noncitizens.

Allegations and Charges

The DOJ alleges that the defendants fraudulently registered to vote in U.S. elections, with some casting illegal ballots in various electoral contests. The charges include making false statements in naturalization applications and fraudulent voter registration, both of which are felonies carrying a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

Among those charged are Omar Alexander Muñoz, a 72-year-old Belizean national, who allegedly registered to vote in September 2019 and participated in multiple U. S. elections.

Amandeep Kaur, a 30-year-old Indian national, is accused of registering to vote in December 2022 and voting in the November 2024 election. Other individuals charged include Ana Domínguez, Axel Giovani Prera García, Flavio Alejandro Zúñiga, and several others from various countries.

Federal and State Tensions

The federal government had previously provided California election officials with a list of more than 20,000 likely noncitizen registrants, urging them to set aside their vote-by-mail ballots until citizenship status could be confirmed. However, California declined to assist, leading the DOJ to file a lawsuit seeking a court order to prevent the unlawful dilution of American citizens' votes.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter emphasized the importance of verifying the citizenship of these registrants before mail-in ballots are counted, stating that "every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen."

Next Steps

The defendants arrested are expected to make their initial appearances in U. S. District Courts.

No pleas will be taken at this stage. The DOJ has not ruled out the possibility of prosecuting election workers involved in processing ballots in California.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is also involved, with Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon affirming their commitment to protecting the integrity of the electoral process by investigating allegations of criminal conduct that undermine public confidence in elections.

This case highlights ongoing tensions between federal and state authorities over election integrity and the enforcement of voting laws, particularly concerning noncitizen participation in U.S. elections.