On November 4, 2026, federal prosecutors in the United States announced charges against six foreign nationals residing in Los Angeles County for allegedly participating in illegal voter registration and voting. It is reported that these individuals made false statements on their naturalization applications.
Although all six individuals hold legal permanent residency in the United States, they are not American citizens. If convicted, each of them faces a maximum prison sentence of five years.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, stated in a release that a total of 34 defendants have been prosecuted for similar offenses as part of “Operation Protect the Vote.” This operation has been characterized by the U.S. Department of Justice as a coordinated effort between federal agencies aimed at eliminating election fraud and preserving the integrity of elections in California.
According to the Justice Department’s announcement, the Central District of California has charged the six defendants with lying on their naturalization applications by claiming they have never registered to vote or ever declared themselves as U.S. citizens.
The allegations detail specific instances of voter registration and participation in elections. For example, a 43-year-old Philippine citizen named Sirgalahad Camua reportedly claimed to be a U.S. citizen and registered to vote in 2009; he subsequently voted by mail in the elections of 2020, 2024, and June 2026.
Another defendant, a 31-year-old Mexican citizen named Krystel Capi Valle, registered in 2022 and cast her vote in November of the same year.
Additionally, a 35-year-old Israeli citizen, Moria Dahan, registered to vote and participated in in-person voting on election day in 2024.
Further complicating the matter, a 52-year-old Canadian citizen, Chad Goertz, allegedly registered in 2018 and voted by mail in both the 2022 and 2024 elections.
Moreover, a 35-year-old Iranian citizen, Mahyar Nikzad, registered to vote in 2024 and participated in elections held in March and November of that year.
Lastly, a 46-year-old Mexican citizen named Gilberto Ruiz registered to vote in 2022 and participated in three elections via mail between 2022 and 2024.
In a related incident, on October 19, 28 non-citizens were indicted for allegedly engaging in illegal voter registration and participating in U.S. elections. On that same day, eleven were arrested, and all 28 defendants were identified as green card holders.
Essayli outlined the need for thorough verification of voter eligibility in California, stating, “There are thousands of suspected non-citizens on the California voter rolls, and we again urge the state to swiftly collaborate with us to verify the citizenship status of those participating in elections.”
Previously, on October 16, the Justice Department had marked over 20,000 individuals in the California voter registration list as “likely not citizens” and subsequently filed a lawsuit against the state government and Los Angeles County. The Department requested that officials review the names of these individuals and temporarily set aside their ballots while citizenship status was being verified, a request met with rejection from state officials.
Dean Logan, the Director of the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office, stated that his department would not take action based on unverified information, citing concerns over safety and privacy as reasons for declining to open a flash drive provided by the federal government that contained the list.
In California, anyone applying for a driver’s license, ID, or changing their address who indicates they are eligible to vote is automatically registered as a voter, unless they opt out.
On the day before the midterm elections, the U.S. Supreme Court declined an urgent request from the Justice Department to segregate the 20,000 suspicious ballots in California. The following day, on election day, the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to support the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into these matters.