Texas voter fraud crackdown leads to Homeland Security arrests of non-citizens
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations have conducted a significant operation in Texas, resulting in the arrest of seven non-citizens for illegal voting in North Texas. U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould has stated a commitment to prosecuting those who misrepresent their citizenship to vote. This operation is part of a larger federal initiative aimed at securing voter rolls and probing into fraudulent registrations ahead of upcoming federal elections.
A woman originally from Nigeria, currently living in Massachusetts as a permanent resident, has been accused of voting illegally in at least two elections after misrepresenting her citizenship status.
Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, faces charges from the Justice Department for voting unlawfully as a non-citizen during the 2024 presidential primary and the 2022 midterm elections, despite not holding U.S. citizenship. She is scheduled to appear in a federal court in Boston on Wednesday.
According to authorities, Okafor repeatedly lied about her citizenship on official documents, risking perjury charges, to gain voting access. In July 2022, she filed a voter registration card, certifying her as a U.S. citizen, which led to her registration by the City of Lynn.
Moreover, in October 2023, she submitted another voter registration card, this time again claiming American citizenship. Following that, she participated in the 2024 presidential primary voting, according to court records.
Okafor was born in Nigeria and attained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022, yet she has not sought U.S. citizenship. Prosecutors note that she could face up to a year in prison along with potential fines of up to $10,000.
In Texas, seven non-citizens have recently been charged in relation to an election integrity investigation. Earlier this month, five individuals were also charged in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin over allegations of illegal voting or fraudulent registration linked to the 2022 or 2024 elections.
