The U.S. Justice Department has announced criminal charges against 16 individuals across multiple states for alleged voter fraud, unlawful noncitizen voting, and related offenses.
Federal Charges Span Seven States and Multiple Election Cycles
The federal government’s crackdown targets individuals in Texas, Idaho, Georgia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Michigan. According to the Justice Department, the alleged offenses involve noncitizens casting ballots in federal elections, making false claims of U.S. citizenship to register, and committing naturalization fraud. Authorities stated that ongoing investigations also uncovered related crimes, including wire fraud, passport and identification document fraud, and unlawful firearm purchases.
The ijr.com issued a public warning on social media regarding the sweep. Officials stated that some of the defendants cast ballots in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
“Let this be a warning to ANYONE trying to cheat and undermine our elections. Spread the word!”
The Department of Justice, via Fox News
Texas Arrests and High-Count Balloting Allegations
Texas accounts for eight of the individuals charged in the nationwide sweep. Among them is Monica Ivette Carzoli Carillo, a 46-year-old Mexican national and legal permanent resident who became a permanent resident on Dec. 5, 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. Court documents state that she cast an early voting ballot at the Del Rio Civic Center on Oct. 26, 2024. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers obtained a sworn statement from her in which she admitted to registering and voting in the presidential election.
Other cases involve extensive multi-year voting histories. In Georgia, Analiea Milliscent Eccles, a Venezuelan national and DACA recipient, voted nine times between 2008 and 2024. She faces federal charges for voting as a noncitizen and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship.
In Idaho, federal prosecutors indicted Avila Gomez, a Mexican national accused of falsely claiming citizenship to register and subsequently voting in May 2022 and November 2024. The indictment against Gomez also includes wire fraud, theft of government funds, passport fraud, and firearm offenses.
Broader Enforcement Effort and Homeland Security Figures
The newly announced indictments form part of an expanded federal enforcement campaign. Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Fraud Division told reporters that the administration has charged 50 noncitizens with illegal voting.
“America’s elections are for Americans.”
Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General, via Fox News
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin outlined the broader scope of the government’s inquiries during an interview. Mullin reported that federal authorities are actively reviewing hundreds of thousands of files.
“One is too many, but the fact that we have 300,000 cases we’re looking into right now and 1,620 cases that are under investigation, and 151 arrests is unacceptable.”
Markwayne Mullin, DHS Secretary, via Fox News
Mullin asserted that every vote cast unlawfully diminishes legally registered citizens. He stated that every single vote that was at the hands of an illegal [immigrant], canceled out a citizen that was legally registered and able to vote.
Individual Defendant Details Across Jurisdictions
The charges encompass a wide array of immigration statuses and residency timelines. In the Northern District of Texas, defendants face specific individual counts. Moises Anwar Arellano-Alba, 36, an illegal alien from Mexico facing a final order of removal, was charged with voting by an alien and making a false statement of citizenship. Nigerian national Helen Sayen Adams, 67, a lawful permanent resident since May 2024, was also charged. Additional Texas defendants include Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, Carlos Salas Barrios, Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, Celestin Katubadi, and Rocio Thrasher.
- Pauline Lewis, 65, arrested in Georgia on a complaint alleging noncitizen voting.
- Gabriel Covarrubias, 44, accused of voting in person using a false name in Georgia during the November 2024 election.
- Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, a lawful permanent resident arrested in Massachusetts for allegedly voting in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
- Julieta Englestad, 53, a lawful permanent resident in Wisconsin facing charges for registering to vote in November 2022.
- Santana Coulibaly, a lawful permanent resident in New Jersey who registered in October 2016, voted in 2018 and 2020, and submitted a provisional ballot in 2024.
Legal Framework and Next Steps
Federal prosecutors are pursuing convictions under specific federal statutes, including 18 U.S.C. § 611 for voting by aliens and 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f) for false statements regarding citizenship.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Office of the Texas Attorney General, continues to investigate related election integrity matters. The Justice Department maintains that the filed documents represent accusations, and all defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.