A Los Angeles man who was in a law enforcement-like vehicle and detained said he’s being used as a “scapegoat” amid fears over immigration enforcement.
On Friday afternoon, the mayor and police chief of Huntington Park, California, said police who came across a gray Dodge Durango on Tuesday night initially believed it may have been a federal law enforcement vehicle because inside were red-and-blue police-style visor lights and multiple handheld radios of the type used by law enforcement.
The officers took a closer look and discovered the vehicle had a magazine for a gun in plain sight, Huntington Park Police Chief Cosme Lozano said at Friday afternoon’s news conference. Fernando Diaz, 23, was initially arrested based on a bench warrant for an alleged drunk driving incident from May 11, but he was ultimately booked that night and accused of carrying and concealing a firearm in his vehicle, according to court records.
In a statement Saturday, the city said what appeared to be federal immigration documents, as well as personal records of unknown people, were also in the vehicle.
“This evidence is in addition to statements made by Mr. Diaz himself, claiming to be a former employee of Customs and Border Protection,” it said.
Diaz has not been charged with impersonating a federal agent, but the city said in a statement that its police department sent a case to the district attorney for possible charges. In an interview, he said he’s never claimed to be a federal agent and is instead being punished for the bad actions of others.
“They don’t want to go to Washington and talk to the president directly about the issues that are going on over here,” Diaz said, referring to “politicians.” “They want to use me as their scapegoat so they can get the attention of Washington or whoever they want to get the attention to.”
Diaz’s arrest comes amid the backdrop of mass immigration raids that have struck fear among communities across the country.
Hours of social media videos, verified by NBC News, of raids show agents who lack name tags, badges and badge numbers issuing orders to people at restaurants, Home Depot locations and car washes.
The agents, usually working under the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm, often use face coverings and unmarked vehicles.
Agents also often refuse to give their names or badge numbers, raising the ire of civil libertarians and immigrant rights’ groups who argue that without a clear identity the agents may lack authority and invite resistance.
In March, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned that criminals posing as federal agents were trying to capitalize “on the fear and uncertainty” of the immigration crackdown promised by Trump.
In mid-June, state Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin, both Democrats, introduced the No Secret Police Act, which would ban law enforcement from covering their faces and operating without clear name tags or badge information.
Other officials, ranging from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to local mayors like Huntington Park’s Arturo Flores, have also clashed with the Trump administration over the deployment of troops and cloaked federal agents for mass deportations in the state.
“Who are these people?” Flores said, quoting a resident concerned about federal agents. “Are they bounty hunters? Are they vigilantes? These questions reflect the breakdown of trust. When ICE and other federal agencies choose to operate in secret, with no transparency, they don’t just enforce the law, they incite fear.”
Diaz’s arrest inspired the Huntington Park City Council to pass a resolution directing its police to “verify” anyone claiming to be a federal immigration agent. The city of roughly 52,000 is nearly 97% Latino.
On Friday night, the city said it was postponing certain summer events for 30 days as a result of ICE raids in the region and “widespread anxiety” caused by authorities using unmarked vehicles and masking their identities.
Flores on Friday invited Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to meet and discuss why he believes her agents need to identify themselves.
The agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Homeland Security spokespeople have said previously that agents need to hide their identities because their information, including their home addresses, will otherwise be “doxxed,” or made public, by criminals.
The tension between local officials and federal immigration authorities, Diaz said, has made him feel like a “guinea pig.”
“I guess I’m their guinea pig. I’m their scapegoat because they need somebody to blame,” he said.
Court records show Diaz was released without bail on the gun allegations and told to perform community service as part of a diversion program that would erase the case if he stays out of trouble. The drunk driving case was not heard, but he has a hearing scheduled for Aug. 11.
Diaz indicated there was no mention or concern over claims of impersonating an officer when he was in court on the gun charges.
