FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Non-Citizen Allegedly Voting in Election Leads to Charges

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Miami (April 24, 2024)

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announces the charging of Lazaro Valle-Villar with four voting-related felonies directly connected to his having become a registered voter in Miami-Dade County despite his present non-citizen status. The arrest was the result of a cooperative investigation by Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Election Crime Unit working with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Public Corruption prosecutors and the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security with assistance from the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office. Records indicated that Valle-Villar voted in the November 2, 2021, Miami General Municipal and Special General election. On his Florida Voter Application forms, Valle-Villar indicated (in both English and Spanish) that he was a citizen of the United States of America and therefore qualified to vote.

“Those seeking to have sexual contact with our children will face a surprise if they come to Miami-Dade County,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “All those agencies involved in fighting Human Trafficking, the Miami Police Department, members of my Human Trafficking Task Force, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Secret Service all want human traffickers to know, that if they come to Miami-Dade County, you will get arrested as you ply your ugly pursuits. You can count on that!”

Lazaro Valle-Villar is being charged with the following 3rd Degree Felonies:

• 1 Count Voting as an Unqualified Elector
• 1 Count False Affirmation regarding Voting or Elections
• 1 count Submission of False Voter Registration Information
• 1 count Submitting False Statement to the Secretary of State

“Voting is a right extended to every American citizen,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Lazaro Valle-Villar could have become a citizen and voted legally if he had just made the effort. However, he did not. I am proud to be working together with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security and the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office to help ensure the integrity of our voting process.”