Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of a Starr County woman for allegedly operating an illegal ballot harvesting scheme during the 2022 general election.
Modesta Vela was arrested on September 4 following a grand jury indictment, per Paxton’s press release dated September 17.
Prosecutors say Vela targeted elderly voters over 65 in a ballot harvesting operation. A grand jury indicted her for intentionally influencing a voter’s ballot during the voting process.
The charge is a state jail felony. Paxton’s office conducted the years-long investigation leading to the arrest.
“Though liberals and the left-wing media like to pretend otherwise, we know that election fraud is real and a serious threat,” Paxton said in a statement. “Criminals trying to steal our elections and rig the democratic process will be found, arrested, and prosecuted.”
“Modesta Vela was trying to take advantage of voters and broke the law by illegally ballot harvesting and targeting a Texan seeking to engage in our elections,” Paxton said. “Now, it’s time for Vela to answer for her actions in court.”
The arrest follows other election-related prosecutions in the state of Texas, making voter fraud investigations a priority in recent years.