Five noncitizens charged with illegal voting in federal elections
Federal prosecutors in Houston charged five noncitizens with voting illegally in the 2022 and 2024 federal elections on October 30, 2026. The defendants include a 61-year-old Houston resident, a 33-year-old La Porte man, and three others from the Rio Grande Valley region, each facing charges related to voting, falsely claiming citizenship, or lying on immigration paperwork.
- When it happened
- October 30, 2026
- Where
- Houston, La Porte, Port Isabel, Laredo, and Brownsville
- First reported by an outlet
- Oct 30, 2026 at 11:50 am
- Confirmed by
- 2 independent outlets
Taxes & money
| What | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum fine for illegal voting charge | $10,000[2] | defendants if convicted |
| Maximum fine for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship | $250,000[2] | defendants if convicted |
Who's involved
- Ali Khan · 33-year-old Trinidad and Tobago citizen, DACA recipient living in La Porte, charged with voting by an alien in a federal election[2]
- Mohammed Omar Hassan · 61-year-old Houston resident and Nigerian citizen, charged with voting by an alien in a federal election[2]
- Jose Vasquez-Mendoza · 51-year-old Mexican citizen from Port Isabel, charged with illegal voting and related offenses[2]
- Diego Benavides Rodriguez · 29-year-old Mexican citizen from Laredo, charged with illegal voting and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship[2]
- Karen Hinojosa-Martinez · defendant charged with lying on immigration documents[2]
- Aaron Reitz · U.S. Attorney[2]
- John A. Pasciucco · special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio[2]
The facts
- The five noncitizens were accused of casting ballots in the 2022 and 2024 federal elections despite being barred from doing so under U.S. law.[2]
- The defendants are citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, and Mexico.[2]
- Ali Khan is the only defendant in the country illegally; the remaining four defendants are or were lawful permanent residents who are not U.S. citizens.[2]
- Khan, Hassan, and Vasquez-Mendoza each face up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine on illegal voting charges.[2]
- Diego Benavides Rodriguez faces up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine on his illegal voting charge, plus up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.[2]
- Karen Hinojosa-Martinez faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on her charge of lying on immigration documents.[2]
- The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the probe, with assistance from the Texas Attorney General's Office and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.[2]
- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas announced the charges on October 30, 2026.[2]
Who said what
- U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or illegality are fundamental to a healthy constitutional republic.[2]
- John A. Pasciucco, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio Voting in U.S. elections is a right reserved for U.S. citizens, and Homeland Security Investigations will continue to work with law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of unlawful voting.[2]
Sources
- News Center Houston prosecutors charge 5 noncitizens with voting in fed election Click2Houston · Oct 30, 2026
- News Not rated Houston Prosecutors Charge 5 Noncitizens With Illegal Voting Hoodline · Oct 30, 2026
Written by AI from the sources above, under fixed rules: every fact is cited, claims are kept apart from facts, and dollar figures appear only when a source states them. Mistakes get corrected in public.