Five noncitizens, including one illegal alien, have been charged in the Southern District of Texas for “unlawfully voting in federal elections, lying on immigration documents, or falsely claiming American citizenship.”
According to the announcement, 33-year-old Trinidad and Tobago native Ali Khan was charged with “voting by an alien in a federal election” for illegally voting in 2024. Khan had been illegally residing in La Porte near Houston prior to his arrest. It is unclear when Khan first entered the United States, though the announcement reports that he had been a DACA recipient.
The four legally present noncitizens charged were 61-year-old Mohammed Omar Hassan of Nigeria, 29-year-old Diego Benavides Rodriguez, 51-year-old Jose Vasquez-Mendoza, and 37-year-old Karen Hinojosa-Martinez. Rodriguez, Vasquez-Mendoza, and Hinojosa-Martinez are all citizens of Mexico residing in South Texas.
“Voting in U.S. elections is a right reserved for U.S. citizens, and Homeland Security Investigations will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of unlawful voting,” Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco said. “We are committed to protecting the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring that those who violate federal law are held accountable.”
Hassan and Rodriguez allegedly voted illegally in the 2024 election along with Khan, while Hassan also voted in the 2022 election according to the allegations. Prosecutors alleged that Vasquez-Mendoza illegally voted in the 2022 special election for Congressional District 34.
Additionally, Rodriguez is charged with “falsely claiming U.S. citizenship,” while a McAllen grand jury indicted Hinojosa-Martinez for “lying on immigration documents after allegedly voting in a federal election,” according to the announcement.
“Free, fair, and honest elections–unmarred by fraud, errors, or illegality–are fundamental to a healthy constitutional republic,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz of the Southern District of Texas.
“To that end, we are always on the hunt for bad actors meddling in our elections. I’m proud to defend Americans’ cherished right to vote and the integrity of our American institutions. American elections are for Americans only, and these foreigners will be brought to justice.”
Both Rodriguez and Hinojosa-Martinez face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for their respective charges of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and lying on immigration documents. Rodriguez, Khan, Hassan, and Vasquez-Mendoza all face up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000 for illegal voting.
The issue of noncitizens voting in American elections is not limited to South Texas.
Recently, Indian national Khalwinder Singh Bhengura was found guilty of “voting by an alien in a federal election and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship” in the Northern District of Texas. Bhengura faces a combined six years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines, along with deportation after serving his prison sentence.
