Police in Alameda believe a person suspected of stealing a vehicle may have been impersonating a federal agent.
According to a Wednesday social media post, on Tuesday morning, a license plate reader in Alameda alerted law enforcement that a vehicle listed as stolen was near the Marina Village Shopping Center. Officers found the car and arrested the driver on suspicion of vehicle theft. After the arrest, officers searched the vehicle and found numerous items “suggesting the driver may have been impersonating a federal agent,” the department wrote.
Among the items found were “counterfeit government identification,” including a Department of Homeland Security badge and numerous fake ID cards. Officers also found handcuffs, body armor with the word “AGENT” on the front, drug paraphernalia and a firearm.
Alameda police did not name the suspect. SFGATE reached out to the Alameda Police Department for comment, but calls went unreturned.
The Alameda police did not specify what kind of federal agent the suspect may have impersonated, but in recent weeks, an increasing number of people have been arrested on suspicion of impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, according to CNN. The use of facial coverings by ICE officers has made it easier for people to impersonate them, according to some experts. In October, the FBI sent out a bulletin urging all federal agents, including ICE officers, to identify themselves “adequately” and warning a rising number of people are impersonating federal officials…