The Trump Justice Department has announced charges against 48 foreign nationals accused of election-related crimes, including illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration and falsely claiming to be American citizens. The cases span California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and Nevada.
According to prosecutors, some of the defendants voted in multiple federal elections and later hid their voting histories or false citizenship claims during the naturalization process. Of the 48 defendants, 47 are lawful permanent residents, and one is a Cuban national accused of living in the U.S. illegally. The cases underscore a basic rule of federal election law: holding a green card does not give a foreign national the right to vote in federal elections.
California accounts for most of the defendants, with 28 previously charged across four federal judicial districts under Operation Protect the Vote. Among them is Omar Alexander Muñoz, a 72-year-old Belizean national accused of registering in September 2019 while falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. Prosecutors say he voted in 2020, 2022 and 2024, then made false statements on his naturalization application.
Prosecutors allege that Butleng Taing, a 43-year-old Cambodian national, registered in 2021, voted in 2022 and 2024, and later gave false information on his citizenship application. Maricela Nazarín González, a 43-year-old Mexican national, allegedly registered in 2020 while claiming American citizenship and voted in several elections, including one in 2025. Giezell Viduya Adawag, a 41-year-old Philippine national, allegedly registered on Election Day in November 2024, falsely certified that she was a citizen, and cast a ballot that same day.
Some of the registrations cited in the cases date back more than two decades. The specific charges vary and include illegal voting and false statements involving citizenship and naturalization.
Beyond California, the announcement includes nine defendants in Pennsylvania, six in Florida, four in New York and one in Nevada. In Pennsylvania, Alfredo Santiesteban, a 73-year-old Cuban national described by prosecutors as an illegal alien, was charged with unlawfully voting in the November 2024 general election, while Polish national Artur Kopacz, 50, allegedly voted in the 2022 and 2024 general elections despite being a lawful permanent resident rather than a citizen.
In Florida, prosecutors indicted Jamie Orlando Sosa Sardina, a 60-year-old Cuban national and green card holder, on charges involving a false citizenship claim and illegal voting in the 2022 and 2024 federal general elections. Nevada prosecutors charged Jullie Ann Sumalinog Moore, a 44-year-old Philippine national and lawful permanent resident, with unlawfully voting in a federal election.
Authorities said 11 of the California defendants have been arrested. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter argued that those cases exposed weaknesses in California’s citizenship verification practices. Federal officials said the defendants appeared on a broader list of more than 20,000 suspected noncitizen registrants, though that list remains subject to eligibility review and the prosecutions concern only the specific defendants charged.
