Petaluma woman arrested in federal operation targeting alleged non-citizen voters
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Verónica Bullene, a legal permanent resident of Petaluma, was among 28 Californians charged in Operation Protect the Vote, a DOJ initiative aimed at prosecuting alleged illegal voting by non-citizens.
A 43-year-old Petaluma resident, Verónica Bullene, was arrested on federal charges as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Protect the Vote, which targets individuals accused of voting while not a U.S. citizen. The complaint alleges Bullene, who holds legal permanent resident status, made false statements on her naturalization application, registered to vote in 2022 and 2023, and cast ballots in 2024.
Bullene faces four counts, including attempted procurement of naturalization contrary to law, a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000, along with potential immigration consequences. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse signed the arrest warrant on Oct. 16, and the defendant is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California.
The DOJ’s crackdown has drawn criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and immigrant-rights groups, who question the reliability of the private data sources used to compile a list of roughly 20,000 “likely non-citizen registrants.” Registrar of Voters Evelyn Mendez said the information provided was vague and raised concerns about the timing of the charges, noting the lack of basic identifying details.
Republican Representative Jared Huffman, speaking in Petaluma, warned that the administration’s actions could be intended to intimidate and disrupt the upcoming election, while UCLA law professor Rick Hasen cautioned that accidental registration does not necessarily constitute a crime. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli countered that registering to vote requires intentional effort.
Bullene and the other 27 defendants, who come from 14 countries, are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 9. The DOJ has asked that Bullene’s case be sealed, and it does not yet appear in the public federal court database.