An Indian national has been arrested in the United States for making fake claims about his US citizenship and subsequently voting in the 2024 general elections, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Friday.

The accused, Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, was arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).On September 10, a federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota charged Chaudhari with allegedly making the false citizenship claim.

Chaudhari allegedly signed the voter signature certificate required by Minnesota law to vote in the general election on November 5, 2024.

“The certificate required him to swear or affirm that he was a citizen of the United States,” the DHS said in its statement which cited the indictment alleging that Chaudhari was not a US citizen and ‘knowingly made the false citizenship statement in order to vote’.Charged with one count of false information in voting and one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to to vote or vote, If convicted, Chaudhari faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count.“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.“Under President Trump’s leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders.”