Follow-Up: Six More Foreign Nationals in Los Angeles County Charged with Illegal Voting and Lying on Naturalization Forms: Operation Protect the Vote Totals 34 Defendants
Los Angeles, in Los Angeles County, California, saw a new batch of election cases announced on November 2: six foreign nationals residing in the Antelope and San Fernando valleys have been charged in federal criminal complaints alleging they illegally registered to vote and voted in U.S. elections, then lied about it on their applications to become naturalized citizens. The charges were announced one day before the November 3 midterm election day. The operation had previously charged its first batch of 28 people on October 19; these six bring the total charged to 34.
The six defendants are Sirgalahad Camua, 43, a citizen of the Philippines who resides in Palmdale; Krystel Capi Valle, 31, a Mexican national living in Palmdale; Moria Dahan, 35, an Israeli national living in West Hills; Chad Goertz, 52, a Canadian citizen living in Agua Dulce; Mahyar Nikzad, 35, an Iranian national living in Canoga Park; and Gilberto Ruiz, 46, a citizen of Mexico who resides in Palmdale. Each is charged with making false statements on a naturalization application.
The Justice Department said the charges are part of Operation Protect the Vote, an ongoing, coordinated federal effort in California to root out fraud in U.S. elections and protect electoral integrity. Every defendant charged in the operation is a lawful permanent resident, or green card holder; lawful permanent residents are not U.S. citizens and are not legally permitted to register to vote or to vote in U.S. elections.
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said: "Today, my office announces criminal charges against six additional noncitizens for unlawfully registering and voting in our elections. We have now charged 34 defendants in Operation Protect the Vote, and every one of their names was on the list we provided to California officials." He said there are thousands of suspected noncitizens on California's voter rolls and renewed the request for California to work expeditiously with federal officials to verify the citizenship of those casting ballots, adding that every illegal vote cast and counted cancels the legitimate vote of an American citizen.
Affidavits filed with the complaints lay out each person's alleged conduct. Camua allegedly registered to vote in August 2009 by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen, voted by mail-in ballot in May 2020, November 2024, and June 2026, and in May 2025 falsely stated under penalty of perjury on his naturalization paperwork that he had neither claimed to be a U.S. citizen nor registered to vote. Capi Valle allegedly registered in October 2022 by lying that she was a U.S. citizen, voted by mail in the November 2022 election, and swore falsely to the contrary on her naturalization form in June 2026.
Dahan allegedly registered and voted in person on November 5, 2024, the date of the U.S. general election, and falsely stated the opposite on her naturalization form dated November 6, 2025. Goertz allegedly registered in April 2018, voted by mail in the November 2022 and November 2024 elections, and lied under oath on his naturalization form in February 2026. Nikzad allegedly registered in September 2024 after checking the box reading "I am a U.S. citizen," with records indicating he voted in the March 2024 and November 2024 elections, and falsely stated the opposite in February 2026. Ruiz allegedly registered in July 2022, voted by mail in three elections in November 2022, March 2024, and November 2024, and denied it under penalty of perjury in August 2025.
The defendants arrested that day, Camua, Capi Valle, Dahan, Goertz, and Nikzad, were scheduled to make their initial appearances that afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the cases. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Wheat and Minjae Kim are prosecuting. Erin Burke, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Los Angeles, said HSI will follow the evidence wherever it leads and work to hold accountable those who violate federal law.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于洛杉矶（Los Angeles）的 Edward R. Roybal 联邦大楼与联邦法院。Alexis Doine 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles. Photo by Alexis Doine, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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