Justice Department charges 28 foreign nationals in California with illegal voting

On October 19, 2026, the Justice Department charged 28 foreign nationals in California with illegal voting and voter registration offenses, arresting 11 during a statewide sweep dubbed Operation Protect the Vote. The charges follow a federal lawsuit attempting to force California and Los Angeles County to set aside mail ballots for 20,000 alleged noncitizens. Federal officials warned election workers against tabulating flagged ballots, while California leaders called the claims unverified and politically motivated weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.

Charges against foreign nationals in California

• ▪All 28 individuals charged in California on October 19, 2026, are lawful permanent residents, with 21 suspected of casting illegal ballots in federal elections
• ▪The Justice Department charged 28 foreign nationals in California with illegal voting and fraudulent voter registration under Operation Protect the Vote on October 19, 2026
• ▪Federal agents arrested 72-year-old Belizean national Omar Alexander Muñoz in Commerce, California, on October 19, 2026, for allegedly voting illegally in four federal elections
• ▪Federal authorities announced that 11 of the 28 individuals charged in California's Operation Protect the Vote were taken into custody on October 19, 2026

Announcements by FBI Director Kash Patel

• ▪FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media that federal law enforcement made additional arrests tied to alleged voter fraud on October 19, 2026
• ▪FBI Director Kash Patel announced on October 19, 2026, that the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Justice Department are conducting joint enforcement against election law violations

Federal lawsuit over California voter rolls

• ▪California Secretary of State Shirley Weber stated the Department of Homeland Security initially claimed 190,000 registered California voters were likely noncitizens before reducing that estimate to 20,000
• ▪California Secretary of State Shirley Weber declined a Justice Department demand to verify 20,000 flagged voters within 48 hours, stating systematically removing voters close to an election violates federal law
• ▪The Justice Department sued California and Los Angeles County to force election officials to set aside mail ballots from 20,000 flagged suspected noncitizens prior to tabulation

Statements by Trent McCotter

• ▪Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter sent a letter warning Los Angeles County officials that knowingly processing or tabulating ballots from noncitizens risks federal criminal prosecution
• ▪Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter acknowledged during a press conference that the Justice Department's list of 20,000 suspected noncitizen voters sent to California election officials might contain errors

California officials' pushback against federal actions

• ▪Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn characterized the October 19, 2026 Operation Protect the Vote arrests as voter intimidation intended to distort public perception of voter fraud
• ▪California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated on October 19, 2026, that there is no widespread voter fraud in California's 23 million registered voter roll

Federal election crime prosecutions

• ▪The Justice Department charged 113 people across 20 states with illegal voting and registration offenses over seven weeks preceding October 19, 2026
• ▪The Justice Department previously charged approximately 90 individuals nationwide for election misconduct in 2026, including 50 accused of voting as noncitizens

California voter registration process

• ▪California mails ballots to all of its more than 23 million registered voters for federal and state elections
• ▪California requires voter registration applicants to attest to being United States citizens when filling out registration forms