Texas authorities have uncovered what appears to be one of the largest vote harvesting scandals in recent years, with fifteen individuals—including a former Texas House candidate and several local officials—facing criminal charges.
The indictments, handed down on June 30, mark the latest chapter in a months-long investigation led by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the 81st Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
According to KSAT, seven of the accused turned themselves in to the Frio County Jail on July 2, while others are expected to follow.
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Those indicted include names familiar in South Texas politics. Juan Manuel Medina, the former Bexar County Democrat Party Chair and one-time San Antonio mayoral candidate, was charged with two counts of vote harvesting.
Petra Davina Trevino, former mayor of Pearsall, faces a single charge. Inelda Rodriguez, a former Dilley council member, was indicted on three counts.
Mary Ann Obregon, a former mayor of Dilley, was charged with two counts.
Perhaps most notable is Cecilia Castellano, a former Democrat candidate for the Texas House, who now faces two counts of vote harvesting.
Castellano ran in 2024 for District 80, which stretches from the southwest of San Antonio to Laredo.
She lost the general election but carried Webb County, a region her campaign heavily targeted.
Her attorney, Don Flanary, quickly dismissed the charges as “politically motivated harassment by Ken Paxton and the AG’s office,” insisting the statute itself is under legal challenge.
Other individuals charged include Rachel Leal, who claims she only left flyers at homes and never handled ballots, as well as Raul Carrizales III, a sitting Frio County Commissioner.
Maricela Garcia Benavides, secretary of the Pearsall ISD Board, was also named.
This is not the first wave of arrests.
In May, six officials—including the Frio County Judge and Pearsall council members—were taken into custody.
The widening scope of the probe suggests that authorities believe vote harvesting was not an isolated practice but a coordinated effort involving multiple layers of local government.
Democrats have dismissed the charges as a partisan attempt to suppress Hispanic political power in South Texas, but the allegations strike at the core of election integrity.
Vote harvesting, the practice of illegally collecting and submitting ballots on behalf of voters, undermines the principle of free and fair elections.
Texas has been at the center of the national debate over election security since 2020, with Republicans vowing to crack down on ballot manipulation schemes.
These indictments, especially with a former House candidate implicated, will add fresh urgency to that fight.
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