First Arrest Made in Election Fraud Crackdown by Trump Administration

<p>The first arrest in an election fraud crackdown initiated by the Trump administration was announced on August 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, stated that a Honduran national has been charged with two felony counts and may face deportation if convicted. Essayli criticized California’s voter-registration safeguards and reiterated the Department of Justice's (DOJ) request for a voter-roll audit.</p><p>Essayli remarked, "Today’s arrest is the first of many to come. Unfortunately, because states like California allow non-citizens to easily register to vote and receive a ballot by mail, there’s no telling how many non-citizens are currently registered to vote." The individual charged, Darwin Jonathan Rivera-Flores, was accused of fraudulent voter registration and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. According to the DOJ, he did not vote in any elections.</p><p>Rivera-Flores entered the U.S. during the George W. Bush administration and held a green card but was not a U.S. citizen. He had previously been charged with a misdemeanor related to immigration law enforcement and was sentenced to one year of probation.</p><p>In addition to the charges, Rivera-Flores allegedly sent derogatory text messages to a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent, expressing disdain for the officer and the enforcement of immigration laws.</p><p>The White House indicated that Rivera-Flores’ case counters claims made by critics regarding the absence of voter fraud. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis stated, "Despite the media and Democrats claiming it never happens, the evidence of non-citizens registering to vote in our elections continues to pile up." She emphasized that non-citizens found registering to vote will be held accountable.</p><p>Essayli also stated that this case supports the DOJ's demand for California to comply with requests for a comprehensive voter-roll audit. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon remarked that non-citizens committing fraud to vote violate federal law and should expect prosecution.</p><p>Californians are set to vote in November on whether to implement additional voter-ID and citizenship-verification requirements. Current law mandates that individuals registering to vote must declare under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens and provide identifying information. This initiative is led by state Sen. Tony Strickland and Assemblyman Carl DeMaio.</p>