An illegal immigrant from Colombia who had been living in the U.S. for decades was finally apprehended after allegedly voting in several U.S. elections and fraudulently collecting government benefits.

According to a federal indictment, Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez was a Federal Grand Jury indicted for illegal national status after discovering she had been living in the U.S. unlawfully under a stolen identity and receiving at least $400,000 in rental assistance, Social Security, and food stamp benefits. She also allegedly obtained nine state IDs, including a Massachusetts Real ID, and applied for a U.S. passport.

Orovio-Hernandez has been accused of using a stolen identity to fraudulently register to vote in January 2023 and illegally cast a ballot in the November 2024 presidential election. She was captured on surveillance camera at a bank wearing an “I voted” sticker on Nov. 5, 2024, Election Day. Orovio-Hernandez is accused of illegally receiving around $400,000 in federal benefits, including over $259,000 in Section 8 housing aid, more than $101,000 in Social Security disability payments, and about $43,000 in food assistance, all over a span of several years.

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley emphasized that the illegal immigrant’s actions undermine the rights and support systems designed for American citizens and legal residents, calling the alleged crimes an insult to those who follow the law. She vowed that her office would continue to pursue and prosecute those who exploit the system. (Read more from “Illegal Alien Nabbed After Voting in U.S. Elections, Stealing $400K in Benefits Using Stolen Identity” HERE)

Each year, migrants send tens of billions of dollars out of the United States — often landing in cartel coffers.

That may be good for migrants and drug lords, but it’s bad for the American economy. That’s why Congress is considering a new tax on money flowing out of the country. Advocates say the tax would penalize illegal immigration, impose new costs on criminal networks, and increase government revenue, all without impacting Americans’ wallets.

Remittance outflows from the United States — when migrants send money back to their countries of origin — have steadily increased in recent years. Data from the Migration Policy Institute reveal that just over $66 billion was sent out of the American economy in 2020. That number climbed to $73.7 billion in 2021 and $81.6 billion in 2022. By 2023, remittance outflows hit nearly $86 billion.

Now, a five percent remittance tax, which is included in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” could penalize illegal immigration, punish cartels, and create a new revenue stream for the American government.

Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Media Director Ira Mehlman told The Daily Wire that a tax on remittances would recoup some of the money that is, in effect, exported out of the American economy. (Read more from “This New Tax Could Stop Illegal Immigration And Keep Money From Cartels” HERE)