4 minPolitics
Justice Department Charges 16 in Multi-State Election Fraud Crackdown
The DOJ announced charges against 16 people across multiple states for alleged illegal voting and election-related crimes, including noncitizens accused of casting ballots in federal elections. The cases are part of a broader Trump administration enforcement effort.
The Department of Justice announced charges against 16 people in multiple states for alleged illegal voting, voter registration fraud, and other election-related crimes, including cases involving noncitizens accused of casting ballots in federal elections. The announcement, made Friday, represents an escalation of the Trump administration's enforcement push targeting election integrity violations.
According to the DOJ, eight noncitizens residing in Texas were charged, while the remaining defendants hail from Idaho, Georgia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Michigan. The allegations include noncitizens voting in federal elections, false claims of U.S. citizenship to register or vote, and false statements related to naturalization. Authorities said investigations also uncovered alleged passport and identification fraud, wire fraud, and firearm-related offenses.
The DOJ followed its announcement with a warning on social media, stating that some of those charged allegedly voted in the 2022 and 2024 elections. «Let this be a warning to ANYONE trying to cheat and undermine our elections,» the department wrote. «Spread the word!»
Among the specific cases, Analiea Milliscent Eccles, a Venezuelan national and DACA recipient, was charged in Georgia with voting as a noncitizen and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote. The DOJ said she voted nine times between 2008 and 2024. In Idaho, Avila Gomez, a Mexican national, is accused of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register to vote and then voting in May 2022 and November 2024. The indictment against Gomez also includes wire fraud, passport, identification-document, and firearm-related charges.
Santana Coulibaly, a lawful permanent resident in New Jersey, registered to vote in 2016, voted in federal elections in 2018 and 2020, and submitted a provisional ballot in the 2024 presidential election, according to the DOJ. She also faces allegations involving statements made in her naturalization applications.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the DOJ's Fraud Division told Fox News that the Trump administration has now charged 50 noncitizens with illegal voting. «America's elections are for Americans,» McDonald said.
In a separate interview, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said a broader investigation is underway. Mullin said officials have more than 1,620 open cases and have made 151 arrests. He also said authorities are looking into more than 300,000 suspected cases, a figure he said continues to grow.
Mullin asserted that «every single vote that was at the hands of an illegal [immigrant], canceled out a citizen that was legally registered and able to vote.» He added: «One is too many, but the fact that we have 300,000 cases we're looking into right now and 1,620 cases that are under investigation, and 151 arrests is unacceptable.»
The Justice Department noted that the charges announced Friday are accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The cases are part of a broader Trump administration enforcement effort targeting alleged illegal voting and election-related crimes, reflecting an intensified focus on election integrity at the federal level.
