FBI Carries Out Major Voter Fraud Bust in California After Gavin Newsom Ignores Ultimatum

The Federal Bureau of Investigation carried out a sweeping election integrity operation Monday morning, arresting illegal aliens who are accused of registering to vote in the upcoming midterms.

The subjects were identified through a list of over 20,000 suspected illegals in the state of California, according to an exclusive report by The New York Post.

The initiative, known as “Operation Protect the Vote,” targeted more than two dozen foreign nationals, many of whom may have already voted in U.S. elections.

Fox News’ Matt Finn also confirmed the operation on X, writing, “Breaking: The Feds are conducting a bust across California right now, expected to arrest an estimated two dozen foreign nationals accused of illegally registering to vote and some voting in multiple elections. Final number of arrests and full details expected this morning. Full story and video coming on Fox News.”

Breaking: The Feds are conducting a bust across California right now, expected to arrest an estimated two-dozen foreign nationals accused of illegally registering to vote and some voting in multiple elections. Final number of arrests and full details expected this morning. Full story and video coming on Fox News.

— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) October 19, 2026

One suspect, Alexander Muñoz, was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations — an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — at 6 a.m. outside his home.

Muñoz, 72, is a Belizean national but claimed to be an American citizen when he registered to vote in September 2019. He later voted in U.S. elections in 2020, 2022, and 2024, per law enforcement officials.

In addition, Muñoz lied on his naturalization paperwork when he claimed that he never falsely represented himself as a U.S. citizen, and he will likely be hit with felony charges.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, “Today’s arrests confirm what we suspected and what we put California on notice for: Noncitizens are voting in California elections, which is unconstitutional and illegal.”

This news comes just days after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California, after “determining that more than 20,000 people who are likely aliens are registered to vote in California.”

“Under California law, every registered voter is mailed a ballot. It is unlawful for aliens to vote in federal elections,” a DOJ news release read.

The federal government is asking for these ballots to be set aside until it can work with state officials to verify their legality.

The lawsuit was filed just two days after California was given a 48-hour ultimatum to comply with the request.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called the government’s actions “sad,” on social media, adding that it’s a “desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.”

“Courts have made clear the federal government has no role in running state elections,” he wrote on X. “We will defend free and fair elections in the Golden State and call out every authoritarian attempt to undermine our democracy.”

This is a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.

Courts have made clear the federal government has no role in running state elections.

We will defend free and fair elections in the Golden State and call out every authoritarian attempt to undermine our democracy.

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) October 15, 2026

Attorney General Todd Blanche, however, said these cases are of the utmost importance and must be investigated to defend America’s electoral system.

“State-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable in the United States of America,” Blanche declared. “If found responsible in a court of law, the State of California will have seriously undermined confidence in our electoral system and violated laws that protect our nation’s representative system of government.” 

“The Department of Justice will continue working to uncover cases of voter fraud, hold fraudsters accountable, and restore trust in American elections,” he concluded.

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