Federal Agents Arrest Voter Fraud Suspects Across California Days After DOJ Ultimatum

Federal agents arrested suspects in a series of voter fraud cases across California early Monday, drawing targets from a federal list of more than 20,000 suspected noncitizens registered to vote in next month’s midterm election.

Homeland Security Investigations agents raided the Commerce home of Alexander Muñoz around 6 a.m. in one of the arrests. Agents called for him to come out of the house before taking him into custody, according to federal authorities.

Authorities say Muñoz, 72, a citizen of Belize, registered to vote in September 2019 by claiming to be a United States citizen. He then voted in the 2020 election, twice in 2022 and again in 2024, investigators say. Muñoz is also accused of lying under oath on his application for U.S. citizenship, when he said he had never claimed to be a citizen. He faces felony charges, including making false statements on a naturalization application.

The effort, which federal officials call Operation Protect the Vote, targeted more than two dozen foreign nationals charged with fraudulently registering to vote in federal elections, most of whom allegedly cast illegal ballots. It was not immediately clear how many people were taken into custody Monday. Prosecutors planned a news conference later in the day to release details.

Ultimatum, lawsuit and a thumb drive

The arrests came days after the Justice Department gave California election officials 48 hours to review the list of suspected noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls, then sued the state Thursday after officials did not act. Federal officials supplied Los Angeles County with a password-protected thumb drive identifying suspected noncitizens who were sent mail-in ballots, in letters sent last week to Secretary of State Shirley Weber and county clerk Dean Logan. Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter warned both officials they would face legal action if they failed to review the list in time; a representative for Logan confirmed receiving the letter.

Both sides claim vindication

Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said the arrests backed the federal government’s claims of voter fraud in the state. “Today’s arrests confirm what we suspected and what we put California on notice for: Noncitizens are voting in California elections which is unconstitutional and illegal,” he said. Attorney General Todd Blanche said state-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable, adding that if California is found responsible in court, it “will have seriously undermined confidence in our electoral system.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom called the operation a political attack. “This is a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day,” Newsom wrote on X. “Courts have made clear the federal government has no role in running state elections.” Local officials have said voter fraud is not a widespread problem in California.

Reporting based on coverage by the New York Post.