ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Who Illegally Voted in U.S. Election in Indiana

This illegal alien had been RELEASED into the country by the Obama Administration 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested an illegal alien who unlawfully voted in a national election in Indiana.

On September 3, ICE officers arrested Helda Araceli Mendez-Merida, an illegal alien from Guatemala, during a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Indianapolis.

Helda Araceli Mendez-Merida

“The patriots of ICE arrested this illegal alien from Guatemala after she illegally voted in a past election,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “This illegal alien will be deported so she can never again poison our elections. If even one non-citizen casts a vote, it steals a vote from an American citizen. The Trump Administration is committed to protecting and upholding the integrity of our election system so that only the American people are choosing American leaders and making decisions for our country.”

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States,” said ICE Enforcement Division’s Acting Assistant Director Patricia Hyde. “Helda Araceli Mendez-Merida attempted to subvert a national election by unlawfully casting a vote. Voting in U.S. elections is a privilege that is reserved exclusively for U.S. citizens, and we cannot allow that sacred right to be perverted by foreign nationals who seek to undermine American democracy.” 

Mendez-Merida illegally entered the United States through Arizona in September 2015, and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. She was then RELEASED into the country by the Obama Administration. A Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge issued Mendez-Merida a final order of removal on September 3, 2019.

DEA Chicago Field Division Investigation Leads to Arrests, Seizure of 339 Pounds of Cocaine in Suburban Chicago

Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Chicago Field Division, announced drug-related charges filed with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office against two men. 

Burhan C. Ozerdinc, 33, of Oak Lawn, Illinois, and Ahmad S. Sanducka, 33, of Mount Prospect, Illinois, were charged with possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute +900 grams on Sept. 17, 2026.

As part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, DEA Chicago Field Division personnel executed a search warrant earlier this week on a residence in River Grove, Illinois, and seized 339 ½ pounds of cocaine, and approximately $700,000 in U.S. currency. Ozerdinc and Sanducka were arrested in connection with the search warrant. 

The case was investigated by the DEA Chicago Field Divis ion, with support from Customs and Border Protection; Buffalo Grove Police Department; Lake County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Group; Chicago Police Department; Elmhurst Police Department; Elgin Police Department; Woodridge Police Department; Justice Police Department; and the Will County Sheriff's Office.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kristyna C. Ryan granted the State’s petitions for pretrial detention and ordered both defendants detained.  

The public is reminded that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Department of Justice Charges 16 Individuals for Illegal Voting and Related Election Crimes

 

Today, the Justice Department announced charges against 16 individuals in connection with illegal voting, illegal voter registration, and related election-fraud schemes across the country. The charges include unlawful voting by non-citizens in federal elections, false claims of citizenship to register or vote, and related offenses including wire fraud, naturalization fraud, passport fraud, and unlawful firearm purchases uncovered during the course of these investigations. 

Case details are as follows:

Northern District of Texas 

This week, eight aliens residing in Texas are facing charges for alleged unlawful voting.  

• Moises Anwar Arellano‑Alba, 36, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with final order of removal, has been charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and false statement of citizenship in order to register to vote.
• Nigerian national, Helen Sayen Adams, 67, a lawful permanent resident since May 2024, was charged with Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election and False Statement of Citizenship in Order to Register to Vote. 
• Nigerian national, Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, 27, a lawful permanent resident since 2016, has been charged with false statements in relation to naturalization. 
• Mexican national, Carlos Salas Barrios, 41, a lawful permanent resident since 2018, has been charged by complaint with allegedly voting by an Alien in a Federal Election. 
• Indian National, Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, 69, a lawful permanent resident since 2022, has been charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and false statement of citizenship in order to register to vote. 
• Democratic Republic of Congo National, Celestin Katubadi, 20, a lawful permanent resident, has been charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and false statement of citizenship in order to vote. 
• Mexican national, Rocio Thrasher, 38, a lawful permanent resident since 2017, has been charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and false statement of citizenship in order to register to vote. 

Western District of Texas

Mexican national, Monica Carzoli, 46, a lawful permanent resident, admitted to registering to vote and then voting in the November 2024 election. Carzoli was arrested on criminal charges this week in Del Rio, Texas. 

District of Idaho 

Avila Gomez, an illegal alien from Mexico, allegedly claimed to be a U.S. citizen to register to vote and thereafter voted in May 2022 and November 2024. Additionally, Gomez allegedly fraudulently obtained Idaho identification cards while devising a scheme to defraud U.S. departments and agencies.

A federal grand jury in Boise, Idaho, returned an indictment charging Gomez with Wire Fraud, Theft of Government Funds, False Statement of Citizenship in Order to Vote, Voting by Alien, False Statement in Application of Passport, Fraud in Connection with Identification Documents Production, False Statement During Purchase of Firearm, and Unlawful Possession of Firearm.

Photo of Mexican national, Monica Carzoli, 46, a lawful permanent resident.

Northern District of Georgia

Three aliens residing in Georgia are facing charges for illegally voting in U.S. elections. 

• Pauline Lewis, 65, a suspected illegal alien from Antigua and Barbuda, was arrested on a criminal complaint charging her with voting as a non-citizen in a federal election. 
• Gabriel Covarrubias, 44, a suspected illegal alien from Mexico, is alleged to have voted in person using a false name in the November 2024 federal election in addition to making a false statement in a U.S. passport application.
• Analiea Milliscent Eccles, 44, an illegal alien from Venezuela and DACA recipient, voted nine times between 2008 and 2024. She appeared in federal court following her arrest on a criminal complaint charging her with voting as a non-citizen in a federal election and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship to vote in an election. 

District of Massachusetts 

Nigerian national, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, a lawful permanent resident, has been arrested and charged with illegally voting in the 2022 elections and allegedly voting in the 2024 general election.

Photo of Nigerian national, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, a lawful permanent resident.

Western District of Wisconsin

Colombian national, Julieta Englestad, 53, a lawful permanent resident, is facing charges for falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen when registering to vote in the November 2022 federal election. If convicted, Englestad faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the illegal registering to vote count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison on the illegal voting count. 

Photo of Columbian National, Julieta Englestad, 53, a lawful permanent resident.

 District of New Jersey

Santana Coulibaly, an alien with lawful permanent residence. She registered to vote in October 2016, voted in federal elections in 2018 and 2020, and submitted a provisional ballot in the 2024 Presidential election. Additionally, Coulibaly made fraudulent statements in an application for Naturalization (N-400) she submitted in December 2021 and October 2024. Coulibaly was arrested this week. 

Eastern District of Michigan 

Russian national, Victoria Viktorivna Aquilina, 43, registered to vote in 2023, and allegedly casted a vote in a U.S. election. Aquilina was charged today with illegally voting in the 2024 general election. 

A complaint, indictment, and information merely contain accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attorney General James Moves to Protect Historic Burial Ground for Formerly Enslaved New Yorkers in Queens

 

OAG Seeks Court Order Requiring Notice to Buyers of Human Remains as Elmhurst Property Heads to Foreclosure Auction

New York Attorney General Letitia James today moved to protect a historic burial ground for formerly enslaved people in Elmhurst, Queens from further disturbance as the property heads toward a court-ordered foreclosure sale. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) filed a motion to intervene in a pending foreclosure action concerning the property at 47-11 90th Street, seeking a court order that would require any prospective buyer to be notified of the human remains at the site and their legal obligations to protect them before they can take ownership.

"Every New Yorker deserves to rest in peace, and that includes the people buried on this land generations ago," said Attorney General James. "My office will not allow a foreclosure sale to become yet another disrespectful event in this burial ground’s unjustly troubled history. We are going to court to make sure whoever buys this property knows exactly who is buried there and is aware of their legal obligation to protect them."

The burial ground dates back to 1818, nine years before New York state completed its gradual abolition of slavery. As more enslaved New Yorkers gained their freedom, communities of Black New Yorkers began to grow throughout the city and state. One such enclave was called Newtown, located in what is now Elmhurst, Queens. In 1828, one year after slavery was fully abolished, a group of freed slaves formed the United African Society of Newtown, building a church and formalizing a local burial ground that had been informally used for the previous decade. That group later became St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, which owned the property until it was sold when the church moved to Jackson Heights in the 1930s. More than 300 New Yorkers were believed to have been buried on the site, many of whom were formerly enslaved. The burial ground was eventually forgotten until at least 2006, when the City of New York placed restrictive declarations on the site to protect those buried there.

Despite that history, the site has repeatedly been disturbed by development activities. In 2011, construction workers preparing to build condominiums on the property uncovered a woman's iron casket, which archaeologists later dated to the 1800s. That project was eventually halted. In 2025, however, the current owner, 90 Queens, Inc., allowed the property to be paved over and used to store old cars and other debris. The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) deemed it illegal and ordered the parking lot to shut down, issuing multiple violations against the owner, including for illegal use as a parking and storage lot, unsafe conditions, and an excessive accumulation of tires.

Several years ago, 90 Queens, Inc. defaulted on its mortgage, and the party who later acquired that mortgage, 90 Street Realty, LLC, is now proceeding with a foreclosure action against the property. A court-appointed referee is expected to sell the property at public auction. While some of the human remains have already been removed from the site, many additional remains have not yet been excavated and could be at further risk of disturbance.

New York's Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act, enacted in 2023, makes it illegal for anyone who discovers a burial site to remove, relocate, handle, or otherwise disturb human remains found there until specific legal procedures for identifying and notifying descendants and culturally affiliated groups are completed. The attorney general is expressly authorized to take legal action against anyone who violates the law, which carries potential criminal penalties.

In today's filing, Attorney General James is seeking to intervene in the foreclosure action to ensure the Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act is followed and the required identification and notification processes continue regardless of who ultimately owns the property. Given prior disturbances at the property, Attorney General James is concerned that without intervention, prospective buyers could take ownership with no notice that they would be legally responsible for protecting and properly handling the human remains on the land. She is asking the court to order that, if a foreclosure sale proceeds, the referee overseeing the auction include a copy of OAG’s motion and the text of the burial site law in the materials provided to every prospective buyer.

Attorney General James believes the requested notice will ensure prospective buyers respect the human remains buried at the site and understand the legal obligations that come with owning an unmarked burial ground. She hopes to prevent the burial ground from being forgotten once more, and ensure the processes required under the Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act are carried out.

FLORIDA MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RAPING A WOMAN IN HER APARTMENT IN 2001

First Case to be Indicted in New York State Using Investigative Genetic Genealogy 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Florida man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree Rape for sexually assaulting a college student inside her Bronx apartment in December of 2001. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant committed a heinous crime. He then went about his life for 22 years while the victim endured the physical and emotional trauma of the assault. But thanks to investigators who did not give up and advancements in forensic science, the case was ultimately solved. I hope the decades this defendant will spend in prison will offer some comfort to the victim.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Jancys Santiago, 51, of Groveland, Florida was sentenced today to 25 years in prison and 5 years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Laurence Busching. He must register as a sex offender. A Final Order of Protection was issued. On June 24, 2026, the defendant was convicted by a jury of first-degree Rape. Santiago is the first person to be convicted by a jury in New York State because of the use of Investigative Genetic Genealogy. 

The trial lasted six weeks, during which more than 30 witnesses were called to testify. According to the facts brought out at trial, on December 13, 2001, Santiago broke into the apartment of the 21-year-old victim while she was asleep. He threatened her, covered her face, bound her wrists and ankles with wire hangers and then raped her. Investigators matched semen recovered from the victim to DNA recovered from an unsolved rape in Manhattan from 2000. 

In 2023, a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office to solve cold cases was used to fund Investigative Genetic Genealogy. This entails taking crime scene evidence and sending it to a private laboratory to develop a profile which is used to search consumer DNA databases for genetic relatives who consented to assist law enforcement. Using the suspect’s DNA recovered from the rape kits, a family tree was developed by NYPD’s Forensic Laboratory, and those results helped identify the defendant as Jancys Santiago. 

Santiago was arrested in November of 2023. On September 30, 2025, Santiago was convicted in Manhattan following a bench trial on charges of first-degree Rape and first-degree Burglary. On December 10, 2025, Santiago was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The 25-year sentence imposed today by Judge Busching in the Bronx conviction will run consecutively to the Manhattan sentence.

District Attorney Clark also thanked criminalist Kecia Harris of the Office of the City Medical Examiner for her work in the case.

A New Era for Belmont Park: Governor Hochul Cuts the Ribbon to Reopen Iconic Race Course Following Three-Year Reconstruction

New, World-Class Racing Facility Made Possible by $455 Million State Loan Secured by Governor Hochul in FY24 State Budget, Creating 3,700 Union Construction Jobs

New Belmont Park Will Generate $155 Million in Economic Output and $10 Million in New State and Local Tax Revenues Annually

Governor Kathy Hochul today cut the ribbon of the new Belmont Park as it welcomes racing fans for the first time since its closure for reconstruction in 2023. Following a $555 million reconstruction project, the new Belmont Park is a world-class sports and entertainment destination, anchored by a brand new five-story grandstand and newly accessible green space.

“It’s an extraordinary time for racing fans from around the globe as we welcome them back to Belmont Park for the first time in three years,” Governor Hochul said. “Here on Long Island, the new Belmont Park is a state-of-the-art, world-class facility with brand new fan amenities and huge expansions in accessible green space. And the improvements go far beyond the grandstand, with four brand new racing surfaces that will host not just the return of the Belmont Stakes and the 2027 Breeders’ Cup, but year-round racing for the first time in the history of this iconic track. When the gates open and the starting bell sounds later today, Long Island will officially boast the newest and best racing destination in the world.”

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has also modernized the racing and training facilities at Belmont Park by constructing four new racetracks, including the traditional 1 1/2-mile dirt track, two turf courses and a one-mile Tapeta oval; these new tracks will allow for year-round racing at Belmont Park for the first time ever. The reconstruction of Belmont Park was made possible by a $455 million state loan secured by Governor Hochul in the FY24 Enacted State Budget, and construction created over $1 billion in economic impacts and 3,700 union jobs. The return of racing to Belmont Park will generate $155 million in annual economic output and produce $10 million in new state and local tax revenue per year.

When fully complete, the new Belmont Park will ultimately have a capacity of at least 50,000 spectators for the Belmont Stakes and major racing events, matching the capacity of the historic Saratoga Race Course. The centerpiece of the reconstructed Belmont Park is its new five-story, approximately 300,000-square-foot grandstand and clubhouse, designed by renowned architectural firm Populous in conjunction with NYRA. This new facility features industry-leading amenities and a world-class fan experience. The reconstructed grandstand and access to the infield via pedestrian tunnels will enable the creation of nearly five times more green space for fans and the local community.

The much-anticipated return to racing at Belmont Park today features a sold-out crowd of 6,000 spectators. New bars and restaurants are open at the track, including Big Red's, Homestretch Market, Silks and the Trackside Lounge, along with premium dining and hospitality areas including the Turf Club Restaurant and Lounge, The Overlook, and The Stretch View. Over the coming months, NYRA will complete the fitting out of the third through fifth floors of the new grandstand, which are expected to fully open in Q1 of 2027. Grandstand capacity will increase to approximately 10,000 when all interior floors are complete.

The new Belmont Park will host the return of the Belmont Stakes, presented by NYRA Bets, to its historic Long Island home in 2027 following a three-year period where the event was temporarily hosted at the Saratoga Race Course. In addition, last May, Governor Hochul proudly announced the new Belmont Park as the site of the 2027 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, returning the annual year-end mega event to New York State for the first time since 2005.

Racing has continued to serve as a critical driver of economic activity in New York State. Horse racing in New York State generates an estimated $3 billion in annual economic impact and supports nearly 20,000 jobs. This summer’s Saratoga season saw total attendance eclipse 1 million for the 11th consecutive year. In addition, the Saratoga wagering handle exceeded $900 million for only the second time in history. Through the state’s investments in the new Belmont Park, New York now boasts the oldest continuously-operated athletic venue in the nation at the historic Saratoga Race Course, opened in 1863, and the first new major racing venue built in the nation in over four decades.

As part of the overall redevelopment of Belmont Park, NYRA has expanded its commitment to modernizing the barn area and backstretch by completing the construction of two new dormitories since 2023, with a third scheduled for completion this fall. In addition to new residential housing at Belmont Park, NYRA has made significant further investments to improve backstretch quality of life by:

• Upgrading the on-site medical clinic
• Installing a modern Blue Light security system
• Upgrading the Recreation Hall and Track Kitchen facilities
• Renovating the on-site Gymnasium
• Implementing new flood mitigation strategies
• Ensuring access to reliable Wi-Fi

Mayor Mamdani Appoints Mazin Sidahmed as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media

Sidahmed brings nearly fifteen years of experience in journalism and community media to the administration 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced the appointment of Mazin Sidahmed as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media. 

Sidahmed, co-founder and executive director of Documented, the nonprofit newsroom serving New York's immigrant communities, brings a wealth of experience in journalism and community media. He will lead paid media placement and marketing efforts across City agencies, advancing the administration's commitment to ensuring every New Yorker knows about the services and programs available to them – regardless of the language they speak or the community they call home.

The Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media promotes City services and programs through partnerships with ethnic and community media outlets and community-based organizations and nonprofits serving New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Established by Local Law 83 of 2021, the office is the first mayoral office of its kind in the United States. The law requires each mayoral agency to seek to direct at least 50% of its total advertising spending to ethnic and community media outlets.

"City services only matter if they reach the people who need them. Too often, the people who most need to hear from their government are the least likely to hear from it," said Mayor Mamdani. "Mazin Sidahmed has spent his career building trusted news for immigrant New Yorkers, in the languages they speak and on the platforms they actually use. He understands that how you reach people matters as much as what you say. I’m proud to welcome him to this administration as we build a government that reaches every New Yorker.”

For many immigrant, multilingual and working-class New Yorkers, a neighborhood paper, radio show or local WhatsApp group is how they learn what is happening in their city. Sidahmed will ensure the City's advertising reaches New Yorkers where they already are, strengthen partnerships with ethnic and community media outlets, and advance the requirement that City agencies direct at least half of their advertising to community and ethnic media.

“I created Documented to be the connective tissue between immigrant New Yorkers and the often lifesaving services that many are unaware of,” said Sidahmed. “I’m excited to continue this work citywide, while also helping the city’s diverse array of community and ethnic media thrive. I am grateful to Mayor Mamdani for the opportunity to serve the city and can't wait to get started.”

About Mazin Sidahmed

Mazin Sidahmed is a journalist, media entrepreneur and advocate for local news, immigrant communities and journalism's role in democracy. He is the co-founder and executive director of Documented, a multilingual nonprofit newsroom serving immigrant New Yorkers in English, Spanish, Chinese and Haitian Creole.

Documented's community-driven journalism model has made it a nationally recognized standard-bearer for how newsrooms can serve immigrant communities. Through its Building Bridges program, Documented trains newsrooms across the country to adopt that model.

Sidahmed co-chairs the News Futures Gardening Club and co-founded the Immigrant News Coalition, a national collaboration of newsrooms serving immigrant communities across the United States. His work has been recognized by the Edward R. Murrow, Deadline Club, Online Journalism and LION awards. He is the 2024 recipient of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Local Champion Award.

Before founding Documented, Sidahmed was a reporter at The Guardian and The Daily Star in Lebanon.

Permits Filed for 2302 Andrew Avenues in University Heights, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a seven-story residential building at 2302 Andrew Avenues in University Heights, The Bronx. Located between West Fordham Road and West 183rd Street, the lot is near the 183rd Street subway station, served by the 4 train. Zev Lef is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 65-foot-tall development will yield 98,569 designated for residential space. The building will have 145 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 679 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have 25 enclosed parking spaces.

Nikolai Katz Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed last month for the two-story structure on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.