The Justice Department announced Monday that it has charged 16 noncitizens across four states — Minnesota, Louisiana, Florida, and Wisconsin — over illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and false claims of U.S. citizenship, four weeks ahead of Election Day.
All 16 defendants are lawful permanent residents, according to the department — green card holders accused not of entering the country illegally but of casting ballots and registering to vote, acts reserved by law for U.S. citizens. Minnesota accounts for 10 of the defendants; three were charged in Louisiana and two in Florida, with one case in Wisconsin.
In Florida, prosecutors charged Italian national Andrea Catanese, 60, alleging he voted in the 2024 general election and then twice falsely stated during the naturalization process that he had never voted in a federal election. In Louisiana, federal prosecutors charged Mexican citizen Zianya Yllaly Zamorano, Cuban national Pedro Pablo Ruiz, and Nicaraguan national Dudley Francisco Zeledon with illegally voting; Zeledon is accused of casting ballots in both the 2024 primary and general elections.
In Wisconsin, prosecutors charged a North Macedonian national who allegedly registered on Election Day, signed a form falsely certifying U.S. citizenship, and voted in the 2024 general election. The Minnesota cases include allegations of illegal voting in the 2022, 2024, and August 2026 primary elections.
