A federal grand jury in Minnesota returned indictments against 10 individuals described by the Department of Justice as “foreign nationals” on allegations of voter fraud, according to Headline USA, citing DOJ statements and a Sept. 30, 2026 Justice Department post on X.
The DOJ said the defendants were indicted on Sept. 24 and have since made initial court appearances. The department further stated that one individual allegedly voted as recently as Minnesota’s Aug. 11, 2026 primary.
What DOJ alleges
According to the DOJ, each defendant faces at least one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and a separate count of “voting by alien.” If convicted of the false-claim offense, the maximum penalties are five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, the department said. DOJ described “voting by alien” as a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Who was charged
Headline USA reported that the defendants are: Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, a Liberian national (allegedly registered to vote on Oct. 18, 2024); Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, Lithuanian; Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, Ghanaian; Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, Liberian; Chris Adam Pettiquoi, 43, Liberian; Paul Kras, 78, German; Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58, Bosnian; Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, Brazilian; Christian Liam Schenk, 47, Canadian; and Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, South African.
The outlet also wrote that not all defendants are said to have voted in federal elections; some are accused of falsely claiming citizenship to register to vote. Headline USA further characterized the defendants as appearing to be lawful permanent residents based on DOJ descriptions; that specific status was not independently verified here.
What officials said
“Today’s charges allege that ten foreign nationals committed voter fraud in Minnesota, one voting illegally as recently as this August’s primary,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said, according to the DOJ’s post on X. In a separate statement cited by Headline USA, Blanche added, “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.”
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, whose department assisted in the case, said, “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,” per Headline USA’s account.
Headline USA reported that the cases are being led by U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
What’s unclear
These are indictments; the allegations have not been proven in court. Details of each defendant’s specific conduct and immigration status were not provided in the material cited. Headline USA’s characterization that the defendants “appear to be lawful permanent residents” has not been confirmed by primary documents here.
