Three individuals, identified as a Mexican, Cambodian, and Canadian national, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on election fraud charges in Southern California. These indictments are part of a larger investigation into suspected illegal voting across the state.
The defendants are accused of illegally registering to vote in California. Sulema De Leon, 35, a Mexican national from Long Beach, allegedly registered to vote in 2013 and cast a ballot in 2020 while falsely denying U.S. citizenship. Butleng Taing, 43, also of Long Beach and a Cambodian national, is accused of registering in 2021 and voting in 2022 and 2024. Rouzbeh Seyamaknejad, 63, a Canadian national residing in Rancho Palos Verdes, allegedly registered in 2018 and falsely denied claiming U.S. citizenship.
These indictments follow a series of arrests last week targeting 28 suspects in what authorities have described as the largest voter fraud bust in California's history. The operation, dubbed "Operation Protect the Vote," led to federal charges including making false statements on naturalization applications.
Prosecutors identified the suspects from a list of over 20,000 individuals believed to be noncitizens who may have registered to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. Omar Alexander Muñoz, 72, a Belizean national and lawful permanent resident, was among those arrested. Court documents allege he fraudulently registered to vote in September 2019 by claiming U.S. citizenship and subsequently voted in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 elections. Muñoz is also accused of lying on his naturalization application.
Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. District Attorney Bill Essayli has been advocating for measures to ensure election integrity, including segregating ballots potentially cast by individuals on the suspect list. He has expressed concerns that noncitizen votes could dilute the ballots of eligible U.S. citizens.