Indian green card holder charged in Texas over illegal voting crackdown; 6 others also booked
A 69-year-old Indian Green Card holder is among seven non-citizens facing federal charges in Texas over alleged illegal voting or false claims of US citizenship.Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, an Indian man and lawful permanent resident since 2022, has been charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and making a false statement of citizenship to register to vote, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.Prosecutors allege Bhengura claimed to be a US citizen when registering to vote in January 2024. He allegedly made another citizenship claim while applying for a Texas driver’s licence in August that year and later voted in the November 2024 general election.Authorities said Bhengura subsequently admitted that he knew he was not a US citizen. He was arrested on September 11.Bhengura is one of seven non-citizens charged as part of a federal investigation into voting and citizenship-related offences in North Texas. Six defendants were indicted on September 10, while another was charged through a criminal complaint the following day. Federal authorities said the arrests followed the charges.The other defendants include Nigerian nationals Helen Mayen Adams and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, Mexican nationals Carlos Salas Barrios, Rocio Thrasher and Moises Anwar Arellano-Alba, and Celestin Katubadi, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo.The cases differ. Prosecutors allege Adams, Barrios, Thrasher, Katubadi and Arellano-Alba were involved in voting-related offences or false claims of citizenship. Akpom faces a separate charge involving alleged false statements in a naturalisation application regarding previous claims of US citizenship, voter registration, and voting.In Bhengura’s case, prosecutors allege the ballot was cast in Tarrant County during the November 2024 election.The federal case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI Dallas field office, with assistance from the Texas Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.US Attorney Ryan Raybould said federal authorities would pursue cases involving non-citizens who vote in federal elections or falsely claim citizenship.“Federal elections belong to American citizens—period,” Raybould said, adding that the charges were intended to enforce federal election laws.HSI Dallas acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Judy Pardo described election integrity as a national security priority, while FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said the bureau would investigate allegations of voter fraud and other election crimes.The charges concern alleged conduct during the 2024 election cycle. The cases remain pending in federal court.
