The Department of Justice charged 16 people across seven states for election crimes — including noncitizens casting ballots — with the 2026 midterms only weeks away. The announcement comes as part of a broader federal effort to investigate and prosecute election-related violations ahead of the upcoming congressional elections.
“American elections are for Americans,” one DOJ official said.
The charges include illegal voting, illegal voter registration, wire fraud, passport fraud, identity fraud, and firearm offenses. The DOJ press release detailed each case Friday. The breadth of charges reflects the complexity of some cases, where voting violations were discovered alongside other federal offenses during the course of investigations.
The DOJ followed up with a warning on social media: “If you are not allowed to vote in our elections, you shouldn’t. And if you do, that’s a CRIME. This isn’t a partisan issue!” The public messaging represents an effort to communicate the seriousness of election law enforcement to both citizens and noncitizens ahead of the November elections.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Tuesday that 11 additional individuals face charges for illegally voting or fraudulently registering in the 2022 and 2024 elections. These 11 cases are separate from the 16 announced Friday, bringing the recent total of charged individuals significantly higher.
“We are seeing illegal aliens voting.”
Eight noncitizens residing in Texas were charged. The other cases span Idaho, Georgia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Michigan. The geographic spread of the cases suggests the issue is not concentrated in any single region or jurisdiction.
The cases are part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on election-integrity threats. Federal prosecutors have prioritized these cases in recent months as the midterm elections approach. The examples in the DOJ statement were striking, with some defendants allegedly voting multiple times across several election cycles.
In Georgia, Analiea Milliscent Eccles — a Venezuelan national and DACA recipient — allegedly voted nine times between 2008 and 2024. The case spans more than 15 years and multiple federal and state elections. She faces charges of voting as a noncitizen and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote.
Avila Gomez, a Mexican national in Idaho, allegedly falsely claimed U.S. citizenship to register to vote, then voted in May 2022 and November 2024. The indictment also includes wire fraud, passport fraud, identification-document fraud, and firearm-related charges. The additional charges indicate that federal investigators uncovered other alleged violations beyond the voting offenses.
The DOJ also charged Santana Coulibaly, a lawful permanent resident in New Jersey, who registered to vote in 2016 and voted in federal elections through the 2024 presidential election. Coulibaly’s case is notable because lawful permanent residents, while legally residing in the United States, are not eligible to vote in federal elections. Coulibaly faces additional charges connected to her naturalization applications, suggesting potential false statements made during the citizenship process.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the DOJ’s Fraud Division said the Trump administration has now charged 50 noncitizens with illegal voting. The cumulative figure represents cases announced over recent months, not just the most recent charging decisions.
“America’s elections are for Americans,” McDonald said.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said a broader investigation is underway. The scope of the investigation extends far beyond the cases that have resulted in criminal charges thus far. Officials have more than 1,620 open cases, have made 151 arrests, and have 300,000 more suspected cases on the books. The vast number of suspected cases suggests investigators are reviewing voter rolls and registration records on a large scale.
“Every single vote that was at the hands of an illegal, canceled out a citizen that was legally registered and able to vote.”
The charges remain allegations. The cases have not been proven in court. Defendants are presumed innocent until convicted, and each case will proceed through the federal criminal justice system where evidence will be tested and legal arguments heard.
DOJ announced charges for 16 individuals for ILLEGAL VOTING, illegal voter registration, and related election-fraud schemes across the country.
If you are not allowed to vote in our elections, you shouldn’t. And if you do, that’s a CRIME. This isn’t a partisan issue!
Read… pic.twitter.com/klmlulomps
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) September 19, 2026
AG Blanche: “In just the past ten days, the DOJ has announced charges against 11 individuals for illegally voting in 2024 and 2022 or fraudulently registering to vote. We are seeing illegal aliens voting.” pic.twitter.com/XsEt0bUmLq
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) September 15, 2026
