Non-citizen charged with voting felonies in Miami-Dade County

MIAM-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced the arrest Wednesday of Lazaro Valle-Villar on four voting-related felonies directly linked to his registration as a voter in Miami-Dade County despite being a non-citizen.

According to a press release from the state attorney’s office, Valler-Villar’s arrest follows a collaborative investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Election Crime Unit, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Public Corruption prosecutors, and the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security, with support from the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Records show that Valle-Villar participated in the Nov. 2, 2021, Miami General Municipal and Special General election, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on his Florida Voter Application forms, submitted in both English and Spanish.

According to authorities, Valle-Villar faces the following charges, each classified as a third-degree felony:

• 1 count of voting as an unqualified elector

• 1 count of false affirmation regarding voting or elections

• 1 count of submission of false voter registration information

• 1 count of submitting false statement to the secretary of state

“Voting is a fundamental right granted to every American citizen,” Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. “Lazaro Valle-Villar could have pursued citizenship and legally exercised his right to vote. However, he chose not to. I am proud to collaborate 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 safeguard the integrity of our electoral process.”

Local 10 News has requested Valle-Villar’s mugshot and information from the state attorney’s office regarding his age and country of origin.