Federal agents arrested a Honduran national in California after allegedly discovering that he had falsely claimed to be an American citizen while registering to vote. Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, a 30-year-old lawful permanent resident living in Winnetka, now faces two federal felony charges. Officials stressed that Rivera allegedly registered but did not cast a ballot in an election.
Rivera was arrested Friday, August 28th, and charged by federal criminal complaint with making a false claim to United States citizenship and fraudulent voter registration. The case is being handled in the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles and the surrounding region. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the matter.
The allegations surfaced after Rivera drew the attention of federal law enforcement during a separate incident involving immigration authorities. According to prosecutors, Rivera physically disrupted immigration enforcement operations at the federal building in Camarillo in February 2026. He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor citation from the disruption and was placed on probation for one year.
The Justice Department said Rivera began sending text messages to a federal agent two months after the Camarillo incident. One message allegedly read, “Your not the good guy 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.” Prosecutors said Rivera continued texting the agent through July 2026.
Law enforcement subsequently discovered an online voter-registration record under the name “Darwin Rivera” connected to Rivera’s Winnetka address, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint. Investigators obtained a certified voter-registration application number, registration receipt, and signature image from the California secretary of state’s Elections Division. The application listed the registrant as “Darwin J Rivera” and reportedly indicated that nobody had helped him complete the form.
A check mark appeared beside the application’s declaration stating, “I am a U.S. citizen,” prosecutors alleged. Following a declaration under penalty of perjury, the voter-registration application deadline was dated November 4th, 2025. Additional records held by the California secretary of state and Los Angeles County reportedly identified Rivera’s birthplace as the United States.
Federal officials said Rivera was born in Honduras, entered the United States in 2002, and currently holds lawful permanent-resident status, commonly known as possessing a green card. Investigators found no record showing that he ever applied for or obtained American citizenship. Although he allegedly registered by falsely claiming citizenship, officials said there is no record that Rivera voted in an election.
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“Noncitizens who commit fraud so they can vote in American elections do so in violation of federal law and should expect to be prosecuted,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Let this criminal complaint serve as a reminder that the Justice Department stands ready to enforce the laws Congress enacted to ensure only American citizens vote in federal elections.”
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli described the arrest as the beginning of a broader federal enforcement effort. “Today’s arrest is the first of many to come,” Essayli said, adding that California’s registration and vote-by-mail systems make it difficult to determine how many noncitizens may be registered. He renewed the Justice Department’s request that California comply with federal requests to audit its voter rolls.
Rivera faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison on each charge if convicted. Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Wheat of the Orange County Office is prosecuting the case.