Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, joined by Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced the arrest and prosecution of 20 defendants as part of a statewide election-integrity operation targeting illegal voting in Florida elections, including the 2024 General Election.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlorida will not allow anyone to steal the vote of Americans at the ballot box,\u201d Uthmeier said. \u201cThese defendants swore they were qualified electors, cast ballots in our elections, and later confirmed they were never eligible to vote. Thanks to our Statewide Prosecutors, FDLE, the Florida Department of State, and USCIS, they are being held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n
100+ prosecutions since SB 524<\/p>\n
DeSantis says since he signed SB 524 \u2014 which established the Office of Election Crimes at the Department of State \u2014 there have been more than 100 election fraud-related prosecutions. Officials say more than 50% of those prosecutions began since Uthmeier took office.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have prioritized election integrity in Florida, and we have zero tolerance for voter fraud,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cI was proud to announce that the newly formed Association of State and Local Election Officials will bring together election officials from across the country to improve election administration and restore public trust in our electoral systems. Under the leadership of Cord Byrd and James Uthmeier, we are committed to helping other states replicate the successes we have seen in Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n
How the investigations unfolded<\/p>\n
The cases began with referrals from the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and county Supervisors of Elections. Immigration-status reviews \u2014 including checks of federal databases \u2014 flagged registered voters who were not U.S. citizens.<\/p>\n
Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators then obtained voter-registration applications, poll-book signatures or vote-by-mail certificates, and post-election ineligibility notices to verify the crimes. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services played a key role in confirming non-citizen status.<\/p>\n
Who was charged<\/p>\n
The Office of Statewide Prosecution, working with FDLE, the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes, and USCIS, is charging 16 non-citizens who registered by falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and then voted, and four convicted felons who registered and voted while still on probation.<\/p>\n
Each charged offense is a third-degree felony. If convicted as charged, most defendants face up to 10 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.<\/p>\n
The defendants arrested so far include Alejandro Garcia Villegas, 65, of Lake City, a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident since March 16, 2021. Investigators say he registered on Sept. 20, 2022, falsely affirming he was a U.S. citizen, and voted early in person on Oct. 30, 2024. He later agreed in writing that he is not a U.S. citizen. He is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting.<\/p>\n
Cases span Brevard, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee, Marion, Okeechobee, and Polk counties. The investigation remains active and ongoing, and officials say additional charges and arrests are expected.<\/p>\n
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