PHILADELPHIA, United States (CMC) — The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says it has arrested two Cubans for alleged unlawful voting as early voting gets underway ahead of the November 3 midterm general elections.

ICE said agents from its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division arrested Osmal Sanchez Loy on October 23 on allegations of unlawful voting.

The arrest followed an investigation by HSI agents in Allentown, Pennsylvania. HSI Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel said protecting the integrity of US elections remains a priority for the agency.

“We will continue working with our partners to hold violators accountable,” Abel said.

According to ICE, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has accepted Loy’s case for prosecution.

The agency also disclosed that Loy was convicted of a dangerous drugs charge in 1987 and receiving stolen property in 1991. ICE said he never adjusted his immigration status to become a lawful permanent resident and has been subject to a final order of removal since April 2009.

In a separate case, ICE said Cuban national Jaimie Sosa-Sardina voted illegally in the 2024 US election. He was among dozens of immigrants arrested as part of what the agency described as a nationwide voter fraud crackdown.

ICE said the arrests are linked to alleged voter fraud and election-related offences across the United States, including cases involving immigrants who allegedly admitted to unlawfully registering to vote or casting ballots in US elections.

Acting ICE Director David J Venturella said the arrests resulted from investigations conducted in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

“These arrests, carried out in coordination with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, are the result of careful, methodical investigations,” Venturella said.

“American elections must be conducted in accordance with the law, and allegations of illegal voting deserve our undivided attention. When the facts support criminal charges, we pursue them. Every eligible voter deserves an election process that follows the law,” he added.

ICE said the latest arrests represent only some of its ongoing investigations and enforcement actions targeting alleged election-related offences.

In addition to the two Cuban nationals, the agency said immigrants from Honduras, Somalia, Germany, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Venezuela, El Salvador, Cambodia, Guatemala and Mexico were among those arrested on Thursday.