Huntington Park, California – A troubling arrest in Huntington Park this week has underscored growing fears in Southern California over how immigration enforcement is being carried out — and who is actually behind the badge.
On Tuesday night, Huntington Park police arrested Fernando Diaz, 24, after discovering him in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun, multiple fake or suspicious passports, three handheld radios wired into his SUV, and documents bearing the names of Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Díaz also had law-enforcement-style red and blue lights hidden in the visors of the unmarked Dodge Durango he was driving.
Police Chief Cosme Lozano told reporters Friday that Diaz could not produce legitimate credentials to support his claim of having worked with Customs and Border Protection. Officers found him after they noticed his SUV, which was illegally parked in a handicapped space on South Alameda Street. A check of the vehicle revealed it was privately registered, not to any law enforcement agency…