Honduran Man in San Fernando Valley Charged with Voter Fraud by Homeland Security
Darwin Rivera Flores, 30, a Honduran national from Winnetka, CA, was arrested Friday on two felony counts tied to fraudulent voter registration. Prosecutors say it's "the first of many" such cases.
Honduran National Arrested on Voter Fraud Charges in Southern California Crackdown
Homeland Security agents arrested a 30-year-old Honduran national outside a health-care center in Ventura, California, early Friday morning on two felony charges related to illegal voter registration, NY Post Metro reports. The suspect, Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores of Winnetka in the San Fernando Valley, is accused of falsely claiming US citizenship on voter registration forms — a federal crime.
"Today's arrest is the first of many to come," said Bill Essayli, Los Angeles' top federal prosecutor, announcing the action. "States like California allow non-citizens to easily register to vote and receive a ballot by mail. There's no telling how many non-citizens are currently registered to vote."
Rivera Flores, a lawful permanent resident who entered the United States from Honduras in 2002, is not a US citizen — a legal requirement for voting in federal and local elections. He has not voted in any election, and court records show no record of him seeking or obtaining citizenship.
Anti-ICE Protest History and Text Messages to Agent
Rivera Flores is not unknown to federal authorities. In February, he attended an anti-ICE protest in Camarillo, where he physically disrupted immigration enforcement operations at a federal building on Cortez Court. He subsequently pleaded guilty and was placed on one year of probation.
After that arrest, a federal agent reached Rivera Flores by phone. In the weeks that followed, Rivera Flores sent a series of text messages to the agent containing profanity and personal insults, calling the agent a derogatory name and writing, "Stop hurting my people. Tell your people to act like humans."
In one message, Rivera Flores appeared to signal his intention to vote. "I can't wait until the mid terms you dont have qualified immunity then we can start and indict all you guys one bye one," he wrote, the misspellings reproduced in court documents.
Registration Record Traced to Winnetka Address
Law enforcement subsequently discovered an online voter registration record in the name of "Darwin Rivera" linked to his Winnetka address. Agents also obtained a physical voter registration application bearing Rivera Flores' signature, along with a voter registration receipt.
On the application, under the question "Did someone help you fill out this form," Rivera Flores marked "no." A checkmark appeared next to the statement "I am a U.S. citizen." He used his driver's license as identification when registering.
Post journalists were present Friday morning as agents surrounded Rivera Flores outside his workplace. Officers placed him in handcuffs and transported him in a gray van for processing. "I didn't do nothing," he told agents. "This is abuse." He was expected to appear in federal court Friday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles.
Broader Crackdown on Suspected Election Fraud in California
Essayli said his office is currently pursuing multiple election fraud investigations in coordination with the FBI and other agencies. The cases span a range of suspected violations across the Los Angeles area.
Among them is an alleged pay-for-vote scheme in Skid Row, where Post journalists observed federal agents interviewing homeless individuals who may have participated. During California's extended primary election in June, a federal prosecutor also toured the LA County ballot processing facility, one day after President Trump stated that the state's voting process was "under investigation" by the US Attorney's Office. At the time of the Post's visit, rows of workstations at the voting office sat empty.
California's Voter Registration Laws Under Scrutiny
Essayli argued that California's registration rules create conditions that invite abuse. The state permits voters to register with no identification and to cast ballots using unofficial documents such as gym membership cards, insurance cards, and utility bills. Because California does not share its voter rolls with federal authorities, Essayli said, it is not possible to verify whether registrants are actually US citizens.
"California allowed him to be an active registered voter here knowing full well that he's not a citizen," Essayli said of Rivera Flores. "He's facing two felonies and now, upon conviction, he's also facing deportation."
A spokesperson for the California State Department, which oversees elections, countered that anyone registering to vote must attest under penalty of perjury that they are a US citizen and otherwise eligible. The spokesperson added that registrant identity is cross-checked against data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration, and that approximately 98% of all registered voters in California provide a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number at registration.
Essayli acknowledged those checks but noted that both driver's licenses and Social Security numbers may be issued to non-citizens, arguing the state effectively looks the other way on the citizenship question.
Source: NY Post Metro