Federal authorities announced the arrests of more than two dozen foreign nationals in California on Monday.
The suspects are facing charges for illegally registering and voting in U.S. elections, according to Spectrum News.
The statewide sweep is part of a Trump administration effort to root out noncitizen voting ahead of next month's midterm elections, even though data shows that the problem is incredibly rare, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.
The arrests also reflect a further escalation in a simmering voter roll fight between the federal government and California that came into focus last week when the Justice Department sued the state and later warned that local election workers who knowingly process or tabulate ballots submitted by noncitizen voters are at risk of investigation and potential prosecution.
The Justice Department said all of those arrested as part of a sweep dubbed Operation Protect the Vote are lawful permanent residents — but not U.S. citizens who are permitted to legally vote. They are charged with crimes including making false statements on a naturalization application and submitting fraudulent voter registrations.
The New York Post noted that most of the arrestees “allegedly cast illegal ballots.”
Alexander Muñoz, a 72-year-old Belizean national, allegedly registered to vote in September 2019, claiming he was a citizen. He voted in 2020 and twice in 2022 and 2024 and allegedly lied on his naturalization application. He faces felony charges, including false statements on the application.
Evidence of noncitizens voting. More to come as we announce Operation Protect the Vote this morning.
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 19, 2026
The DOJ sued California last week, claiming over 20,000 likely noncitizens are still on the state’s voter rolls. It is demanding that those ballots be set aside until the voters’ citizenship is verified.
🚨 BREAKING: Federal agents pounded on the door of a Belizean national at 6AM in California this morning for voter fraud, and he walked out ARRESTED — NYP And he's NOT the only target. This comes MERE DAYS after Trump DOJ said CA is IGNORING ~20,000 likely noncitizen voters in the midterms right now 🤯 GOOD! Time to hold the ELECTION OFFICIALS accountable next! 🔥 Alexander Muñoz registered to vote in 2019 claiming to be a U.S. citizen, then voted in 2020, TWICE in 2022, and again in 2024 He also lied under oath on his naturalization application, swearing he'd never claimed to be a citizen He's one of more than TWO DOZEN illegal aliens charged under the FBI and HSI's new "Operation Protect the Vote," and most CAST BALLOTS "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." — U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli Gavin Newsom called it voter "suppression." Turns out the "myth" is REALITY and the prosecutions will continue!
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 19, 2026
Attorney General Todd Blanche said, "State-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable in the United States of America."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the lawsuit “a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters.”