California Voting: DOJ Charges Six Foreign Nationals
Federal prosecutors filed charges against six residents of the Los Angeles area, bringing the total number of suspects in the 'Operation Protect the Vote' investigation to 34.
By Chioma Rogers ·
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday that six non-citizens living in California faced criminal charges for registering to vote and casting ballots in federal elections.
The suspects, who were identified in the DOJ announcement, include a 43-year-old Filipino man from Palmdale, a 31-year-old Mexican woman from Palmdale, a 35-year-old Israeli woman from West Hills, a 52-year-old Canadian man from Agua Dulce, a 35-year-old Iranian man from Canoga Park, and a 46-year-old Mexican man from Palmdale.
Prosecutors stated that the individuals also made false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship. Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, said the office filed these charges against non-citizens who voted illegally. He noted that 34 individuals have been charged in total under the Operation Protect the Vote initiative. Essayli added that every name on the federal list had been provided to California election officials.
The Department of Justice began this specific wave of arrests following a similar announcement on October 19. On that date, federal agents charged 11 foreign nationals with the same offenses. The current investigation is being conducted jointly by the DOJ and federal prosecutors in California.
Five of the six newly accused were taken into custody. Federal officials scheduled their initial appearances at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The department did not set a specific court date for the sixth accused. None of the six have been found guilty.
If convicted of making false statements in their naturalization applications, each accused faces a maximum federal prison sentence of five years. The charges carry specific penalties for the act of lying during the citizenship process.
The timing of the announcement coincides with legal battles over mail-in ballots in California. The administration filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court on Monday to exclude approximately 20,000 questionable votes. A federal appeals court had previously rejected the request to remove these votes in a divided decision. The federal government argues the votes should not be counted until citizenship status is verified, while California officials describe the federal list as unreliable.
Source: KVEA
