Ten foreign nationals have been federally charged with unlawful voting and registration offenses in Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced after a press conference held by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Attorney General Todd Blanche.
A federal grand jury returned ten indictments following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul, including nine counts of illegal voting by an alien and nine counts of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote. The defendants are accused of voting in recent elections such as the 2022 and 2024 elections, and as recently as the primary election in August 2026. Nine of the defendants were arrested in Minnesota, while the tenth was arrested in Massachusetts.
Secretary Mullin and Attorney General Blanche were joined at the press conference by Daniel N. Rosen, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota.
"Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation," said Secretary Mullin. "Under President Trump's leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders."
"Today's charges allege that ten foreign nationals committed voter fraud in Minnesota, one voting illegally as recently as this August's primary," said Attorney General Blanche. "The law is clear, only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing this law is fundamental to our democracy. That should not be a partisan concept."
"Voting in American elections is a privilege of American citizenship," said Attorney Rosen. "Stealing that privilege is a crime. When, in order to obtain a ballot, a non-citizen swears he or she is a citizen, we will prosecute."
The ten suspects, all Lawful Permanent Residents, are Bhator Konah Bryant of Liberia, Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds of Lithuania, Joshua Edzie of Ghana, Alan Barbu Kargbo of Liberia, Fadil Rasim Rasim Ozegovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Aparecido Donizetti Padovan of Brazil, Paul Kras of Germany, Chris Adam Pettiquoui of Liberia, Christian Liam Schenk of Canada, and Hester Sophia Weihmann of South Africa. First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Teirab is prosecuting the cases.
DHS said the charges are part of the Trump Administration's broader focus on stopping non-citizens from voting in American elections, citing recent arrests and convictions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Louisiana. The department also pointed to steps including CISA's 2026 Election Infrastructure Security Plan, letters Secretary Mullin sent to secretaries of state warning that tens of thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote, and new election integrity requirements for FEMA grant recipients.