WATCH: Illegal alien busted in battleground state after allegedly committing voter fraud

Federal Agents Arrest Five Individuals on Election‑Fraud Charges Across Three States

Federal prosecutors announced on Friday that five people—two illegal immigrants, two non‑citizens with legal status, and a third individual—were charged with a range of election‑related crimes, including unlawful voting, falsifying citizenship status, and fraudulently registering to vote. The allegations span the 2022 and 2024 elections and involve Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

The arrests were made as part of a nationwide enforcement push by the Justice Department (DOJ) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Footage released by Fox News Digital shows a “sweep” carried out by federal agents that culminated in the detention of one of the defendants, 30‑year‑old Katya Rodriguez, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Rodriguez, who is a Mexican national living in the city, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that include providing a false statement of citizenship to vote, fraudulently registering to vote, and casting ballots as an alien in the 2024 election. If convicted, she faces up to 11 years in prison, supervised release, and a fine.

The five defendants were named in a DOJ press release that outlined the charges and potential penalties. The cases are the most recent of a series of enforcement actions that have taken place over the past year. The DOJ has sued nearly 30 states to compel the surrender of confidential voter rolls and has repurposed HSI—traditionally focused on drug cartels and terrorism—to investigate non‑citizen voting. The agency’s Acting Executive Associate Director, John A. Condon, said in a statement that HSI is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s election systems and that agents are working with federal partners to “identify alleged criminal conduct, follow the evidence, and support prosecutions that reinforce public trust and uphold the rule of law.”

The current wave of investigations comes amid heightened scrutiny over non‑citizen registration. New Jersey officials recently disclosed that a software error had mistakenly registered nearly 6,600 non‑citizens, about 400 of whom reportedly cast ballots. Earlier in the summer, Homeland Security announced that an audit of public voter rolls had identified more than 250,000 registered non‑citizens in just four states—California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada.

In a separate briefing, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that “the evidence of non‑citizens registering to vote in our elections continues to pile up” and that any non‑citizens found voting will be held accountable. She added, “Only Americans should be electing American leaders,” underscoring the administration’s stance on election integrity.

The DOJ’s announcement follows a broader strategy to enforce election laws ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. By targeting alleged voter fraud, the Trump administration aims to demonstrate its commitment to preventing “unlawful voting, fraudulent registration, and other election‑related crimes” that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The five defendants remain in custody as investigations proceed. Prosecutors say the cases will be heard in federal court, where the defendants face potential sentences ranging from a few years to more than a decade in prison if found guilty of falsifying citizenship status and other election‑fraud charges.

The DOJ and HSI have indicated that their investigation will continue in other key states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as part of a coordinated “voter fraud surge” aimed at identifying and prosecuting non‑citizens suspected of interfering with the electoral process.

The federal actions underscore the growing tension between states and the federal government over voter registration and election security. While the DOJ argues that the enforcement is necessary to protect the integrity of elections, critics question whether the measures are targeted or could disproportionately affect immigrant communities.

The outcomes of the current cases and the broader enforcement campaign will likely influence policy debates and legal challenges in the coming months, as both sides weigh the balance between election integrity and the rights of lawful voters.