For Immediate Release
April 26, 2024
 
MIAMI – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Lazaro Valle-Villar, 74, for three counts of voter fraud-related crimes. Valle-Villar is a six-time convicted felon in Miami-Dade County and a citizen of Cuba.
 
The charges are the result of an investigation led by FDLE’s Election Crime Unit (ECU) working with the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Office (ICE) and with assistance from the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office.
 
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said, “Voter fraud in any election jeopardizes the integrity of all elections. FDLE’s Election Crime Unit and Department of State’s Office of Election Crimes and Security are steadfast in making sure that the criminals that commit these crimes will not go unpunished in Florida.”

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said, “Criminals and non-citizens who violate the Florida Election Code will be caught and held accountable. The Florida Department of State will continue to investigate and refer all valid claims of election fraud to FDLE and our partners to ensure the law is upheld and our elections are safe.”
 
Valle-Villar is charged with one felony count each for submitting false voter registration to Secretary of State, voting as an unqualified elector, submission of false voter registration and false affirmation regarding voting or elections.
 
Investigators say he falsely affirmed being a U.S. citizen on two voter registration applications he submitted, one in February 2020 and one in November 2021. Valle-Villar then voted illegally in two local elections in 2021.  
 
Valle-Villar was arrested April 24 and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit.
 
For Further Information Contact:
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001