PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, joined by Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced Thursday that 20 defendants are being arrested and prosecuted for voting fraud as part of a statewide election-integrity operation targeting illegal voting in Florida elections, including the 2024 General Election.
The operation resulted in charges against 16 non-citizens who allegedly registered by falsely claiming United States citizenship before casting ballots, and four convicted felons who allegedly registered and voted while still on probation, according to the attorney general’s office.
“Florida will not allow anyone to steal the vote of Americans at the ballot box,” Uthmeier said. “These defendants swore they were qualified electors, cast ballots in our elections, and later confirmed they were never eligible to vote. Thanks to our Statewide Prosecutors, FDLE, the Florida Department of State, and USCIS, they are being held accountable.”
DeSantis praised the operation and pointed to broader efforts to strengthen election integrity nationwide.
“We have prioritized election integrity in Florida, and we have zero tolerance for voter fraud,” DeSantis said. “Under the leadership of Cord Byrd and James Uthmeier, we are committed to helping other states replicate the successes we have seen in Florida.”
The investigations began with referrals from the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and county Supervisors of Elections after immigration-status reviews, including checks of federal databases, flagged registered voters who were not United States citizens. Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators obtained voter-registration applications, poll-book signatures and vote-by-mail certificates to verify the alleged crimes. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services helped confirm non-citizen status.
Since Gov. DeSantis signed SB 524, which established the Office of Election Crimes at the Department of State, there have been more than 100 election fraud-related prosecutions, with more than 50% beginning since Uthmeier took office, according to the attorney general’s office.
Three central Florida local residents were among those arrested in the operation:
- Cyntia Vanessa Canales, 62, a Chilean national and lawful permanent resident, registered in Marion County in 2012 and again in 2022, each time allegedly falsely affirming she was a United States citizen and listing her place of birth as Florida. She voted early in person on Oct. 27, 2024.
- Craig William Smith, 69, a Bahamian national and lawful permanent resident registered on March 21, 2002, falsely affirming United States citizenship, and voted in both the 2024 Primary and 2024 General Elections as part of a voting history dating to 2006. He later signed a Citizenship Acknowledgement Form admitting he is not a United States citizen.
- Giorgio Dominique Mucelli, 66, of Melbourne, a Canadian citizen and lawful permanent resident, allegedly voted in seven General Elections from 2004 through 2024, including the 2024 General Election.
Each charged offense is a third-degree felony. If convicted, most defendants face up to 10 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. The investigation remains active, and additional charges and arrests are expected, officials said.