A Honduran man living in the San Fernando Valley was arrested on Friday, August 28, on charges of fraudulent voter registration in the U.S. election.
According to the city news agency, authorities in Los Angeles predict that this will be the first of many similar prosecution cases in the months leading up to the midterm elections.
Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, a 30-year-old resident of the Venice Beach community in Los Angeles, is facing two serious charges, including falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen and fraudulent voter registration.
Bill Essayli, Assistant U.S. Attorney in the statement said, “Today’s arrest is just the first of many cases. Unfortunately, due to California allowing non-citizens to easily register to vote and obtain ballots through the mail, it is unknown how many non-citizens have registered to vote. Once again, we urge California to immediately comply with our request to audit the voter rolls so that all voters can have confidence in our elections.”
According to an affidavit, Rivera was born in Honduras, entered the United States in 2002, and currently resides in the U.S. as a legal permanent resident but is not a U.S. citizen.
Prosecutors stated that in February of this year, Rivera disrupted an immigration enforcement operation at the federal building in Camarillo, receiving a misdemeanor citation. He later pleaded guilty and was placed on probation.
Court documents revealed that in April, Rivera sent a series of text messages to a federal agent, some of which stated, “You are not a good person… I can’t wait for the midterm elections, then you will not have immunity, and we can sue each and every one of you.” Prosecutors mentioned Rivera continued to send texts to this federal agent until last month.
Following an investigation, law enforcement claimed to have found an online voter registration record registered under the name “Darwin Rivera”, with the address matching Rivera’s residence in Venice Beach.
The Department of Justice stated that they have also obtained certified voter registration application numbers, registration receipts, and signature images provided by the Elections Division of the California Secretary of State’s Office.
Prosecutors noted that under the question on the application form “Did anyone help you complete this form”, Rivera checked “no”; and he also checked the statement “I am a U.S. citizen.”
The voter registration application included a statement made under penalty of perjury dated November 4, 2025. The place of birth listed under Rivera’s name was “United States.”
Officials confirmed that there is no record of Rivera applying for or receiving U.S. citizenship. Rivera has also never participated in election voting.
If convicted, Rivera faces a maximum of 5 years of federal imprisonment for each charge.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, stated on Friday, “Non-citizens obtaining voting qualifications through fraudulent means and participating in U.S. elections is a violation of federal law and should be prosecuted. This criminal indictment should serve as a reminder that the Justice Department is prepared to enforce laws enacted by Congress to ensure that only U.S. citizens can participate in federal election voting.”