Texas AG Ken Paxton Exposes Vote Harvesting Ring: Nine Indicted, Including Public Officials

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has detonated a political bombshell, nailing nine individuals, including public officials, in a sordid vote harvesting scheme in Frio County. This explosive development in a multi-year probe lays bare a calculated effort to rig Texas elections, with big-name players allegedly gaming the system for power and profit.

“Election integrity is the bedrock of our democracy. Any official trying to scam voters will get crushed by the law,” Paxton roared. “My office will hunt down anyone trying to silence Texans’ voices.”

The Sting: A Multi-Year Takedown

The scandal erupted in August 2024 when Paxton’s Criminal Investigation Division stormed homes and offices across Frio, Atascosa, and Bexar Counties, acting on solid tips of vote harvesting. By May 1, 2025, a Frio County grand jury had slapped six individuals, including public officials, with election crime charges. The dragnet tightened on June 30, 2025, when District Attorney Audrey Louis and Paxton’s Election Integrity Unit hauled nine more suspects before a grand jury, accusing them of tampering with ballots to skew the 2022 elections.

The charges, filed under Texas’ Senate Bill 1 (2021), target vote harvesting—a third-degree felony that could mean 7 years in prison and $10,000 fines per count. The law bans paying or offering compensation for ballot collection, except by caregivers for elderly, disabled, or absent voters.

The Accused:

The indicted are a who’s-who of local power brokers and campaign operatives, all allegedly neck-deep in the scheme:

• Manuel Medina, Chief of Staff to Texas State Rep. Elizabeth Campos: 2 counts of Vote Harvesting.

• Cecilia Castellano, Former Candidate for Texas State Rep. District 80: 2 counts of Vote Harvesting.

• Raul Carrizales, Frio County Commissioner Pct. 3: 1 count of Vote Harvesting.

• MaryAnn Obregon, Former Dilley Mayor: 2 counts of Vote Harvesting.

• Inelda Rodriguez, Former Dilley City Council: 3 counts of Vote Harvesting.

• Davina Trevino, Former Candidate for Pearsall City Council: 1 count of Vote Harvesting.

• Mari Benavides, Pearsall ISD Board Trustee: 1 count of Vote Harvesting.

• Susie Carrizales: 1 count of Vote Harvesting.

• Rachel Leal: 1 count of Vote Harvesting.

Several suspects have already turned themselves in, with Paxton’s team and DA Louis digging for more dirt.

Earlier Charges

The June indictments build on a May 2025 round that nabbed six others, exposing a sprawling conspiracy. Those charged earlier include:

• Rochelle Camacho, Frio County Judge: 3 counts of Vote Harvesting.

• Carlos Segura, Former Frio County Elections Administrator: 1 count of Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence.

• Ramiro Trevino, Pearsall City Council: 1 count of Vote Harvesting.

• Racheal Garza, Pearsall City Council: 1 count of Vote Harvesting.

• Adriann Ramirez, Pearsall ISD Trustee: 3 counts of Vote Harvesting.

• Rosa Rodriguez, Alleged Vote Harvester: 2 counts of Vote Harvesting.

Allegations paint a grim picture: officials, including Camacho and Ramirez (reportedly sisters), targeted elderly voters, funneling payments through CashApp to snag ballots. Segura allegedly buried documents to stonewall the investigation.

Paxton’s crusade has sparked a firestorm. Supporters cheer him as a guardian of democracy, claiming the indictments prove rampant fraud in South Texas elections. But critics, including Latino civil rights groups like LULAC, brand the probe a vicious witch hunt targeting Latino Democrats. They cite heavy-handed raids, like one on an 87-year-old volunteer, as proof of intimidation meant to scare off minority voters.

Paxton’s track record fuels the flames. A 2018 voter fraud case against four Hispanic women imploded in 2023 when a court ruled he lacked authority to prosecute. Critics argue his probes disproportionately hit Latino communities, gutting voter turnout in a state already plagued by low participation. A federal court questioned Senate Bill 1’s legality in September 2024, but Paxton’s appeal kept the law alive.

With Paxton’s Election Integrity Unit and DA Louis doubling down, the case is a powder keg. Calls for federal and state scrutiny of Paxton’s tactics are growing, while his backers demand harsher crackdowns to protect elections