Latest news with #ArturoFlores
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Huntington Park mayor directs police to enforce ICE agents' self-identification
Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores released a statement Saturday, condemning what he called 'masked abductions' amid immigration raids across Los Angeles County, and directing police to intervene in unlawful or unauthorized operations. 'These are not lawful arrests. These are abductions,' said Mayor Flores. 'For more than a week, we have witnessed families being torn apart, children left without parents, and residents vanishing without explanation. Men dressed in tactical gear, operating unmarked vehicles without displaying credentials or agency affiliation, have infiltrated our neighborhoods in direct violation of our community's values, civil rights, and the basic principles of due process.' Last week, a raid on a Huntington Park home, attended by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, caused outrage in the community. The agency said that the federal immigration agents were targeting a man with a criminal record inside the home, but when about a half-dozen vehicles carrying heavily armed, masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents converged on the home, it was occupied by a 28-year-old pregnant mother of four. ICE agents and Noem eventually left the home empty-handed, and the children were allowed back inside. However, this was not the only raid reported in Huntington Park, according to the mayor, and other times, federal agents have been seen masking their faces and driving unmarked vehicles. Flores said he's received reports of masked and unidentified individuals abducting residents in broad daylight. 'These actions have sparked rumors of unauthorized vigilantes or bounty hunters operating under the guise of federal enforcement, have triggered widespread fear and confusion throughout the community.' This message also comes a day after protesters were seen facing off with masked men in the neighboring Southeast L.A. city of Bell, where a large crowd was seen surrounding unmarked vehicles with federal agents around. Several people were seen detained, and a large crowd continued to move in on the unmarked vehicles. 'This is not immigration enforcement. This is state-sanctioned intimidation,' said Flores. 'I am calling for the immediate cessation of these raids and for the Huntington Park Police Department to begin verifying the identities and authority of any individuals conducting such operations within city limits.' The statement shared that the mayor formally directed the police department to enforce laws concerning unmarked vehicles, visible license plates and required agency identification. 'He is urging law enforcement to investigate and intervene in any unauthorized operations that place public safety or civil liberties at risk,' continued the message. 'We cannot allow Wild West-style bounty hunter tactics to unfold unchecked on our streets,' said Mayor Flores. 'Our residents deserve to know who is operating in their neighborhoods and under what authority. Allowing unidentified and unverified actors to engage in forceful detentions is not only reckless—it is dangerous and corrosive to the rule of law.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'It's a tale as old as time': Huntington Park residents lambaste leaders over corruption probe
Add Huntington Park to the list of southeast Los Angeles County cities rocked by political corruption allegations. At a special City Council meeting Friday night, three of the city's four council members were served recall notices — two days after the Los Angeles County district attorney's office executed nearly a dozen search warrants tied to a corruption probe into the alleged misuse of millions of dollars meant for construction of a $24-million aquatic center, which has not been built. At the same meeting, the city attorney tendered his resignation and the mayor tried to end the meeting by threatening to walk out — all to a chorus of snarky comments and jeers of irate residents. One woman was escorted out by a pair of police officers for yelling and speaking out of turn. In a passionate speech, Councilmember Arturo Flores, one of two city leaders not under investigation, alleged that the recall effort was being spearheaded by the consultant whose home and offices were recently searched by the district attorney along with those of a contractor, the mayor, city manager, and three current and former council members. 'I will go to war for my community,' Flores said. 'Let's focus on investigating the failed pool project, let's focus on tracing back the millions of unaccounted money and restoring the faith and trust of local government for the people.' Witnessing the night's event was 26-year-old Emmanuel Carreras Ruedas, a tall, slender man with long, wavy black hair, who sat in the back of the council chambers. Ruedas was not a resident of the city; he lives in Cudahy, but like many young people in the southeast region, he said he was fed up with the political corruption that has long stymied the economic growth of some working-class cities. The southeast region is made up of about 26 cities and neighborhoods nestled between Los Angeles and Orange counties. Because they serve as an entryway to both counties, they are sometimes referred to as the Gateway Cities. At the heart of the region are about a dozen communities including Compton, Cudahy, Vernon, Commerce, Bell and Huntington Park. They sit between the 110 and 710 freeways, two major commercial arteries that connect to the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. Their proximity to the freeways and industrial sectors has severely affected the health of their large immigrant and Latino populations. It is these same towns that for decades have been rocked by political scandals, so much so that lawmakers often refer to the small area as the 'corridor of corruption.' The cities include South Gate, where someone tried to assassinate a councilman in the early 2000s. In 2010, the city of Bell came under the national spotlight when it was revealed that the city manager and several council members were receiving exorbitant salaries and using the town's coffers as their own personal bank. Two years later, Cudahy, a 1.2-square-mile city, made headlines when the mayor, a council member and a longtime administrator were arrested and charged in a federal bribery case. A photo of the councilman surrendering to federal agents after a five-hour long standoff circulated across the country. Scandals in one town, Vernon, were so epic that they became the inspiration for a season of HBO's "True Detective." And now, Huntington Park finds itself on the list. The investigation into the town's alleged misuse of public funds came as city leaders were facing heat and legal questions over the removal of former Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo, who they claimed was not living in the city. A copy of a warrant reviewed by The Times shows that investigators are looking into allegations of bribery, misappropriation of public funds, conflict of interest, money laundering and conspiracy. The warrant also names Efren Martinez under the "case name." Martinez, who owns Unified Consulting Services, is the same consultant whose home and offices were among those searched by investigators last week, according to a statement from the district attorney's office. Martinez, who has run for state Assembly office several times but lost, could not be reached for comment by phone or through his firm's website. It's not the first time Martinez has caused controversy in the city. A Times investigation found that as a political consultant, Mayor Karina Macias helped raise money for Martinez when he planned to run for state Assembly in 2016. But he never ran. Some of the contributors were linked to companies that were awarded contracts by Macias and the council majority, including the city's bus service and dial-a-ride operator, its street sweeping and bus stop maintenance vendor and towing company. The district attorney inquired about Macias' political consulting work but did not pursue charges against her. Macias has maintained she has never done anything wrong. In a statement to residents Friday, Macias said city staff were working diligently with authorities to ensure they were receiving all the information related to the aquatic center project at Salt Lake Park, which includes an Olympic size pool and a synthetic football field. Macias said environmental issues have contributed to long delays and put the blame on a 'small group of individuals not wanting to see it completed.' She accused the media of spreading misinformation and said the city had completed construction of its football field in 2021. 'For over three years, there have been countless meetings, testing, site surveys, remediation and environmental planning between our city, state and county agencies, including Janice Hahn's Office,' Macias' statement read. 'Throughout this ridiculously long process our city manager and staff have been working diligently doing all of the required testing, remediation and planning alongside these environmental agencies.' But sitting next to her, Councilmember Jonathan Sanabria, who is also not under investigation, said the football field was a tiny part of the overall project. It was Sanabria who got into a heated argument with the town's city attorney, Arnold M. Alvarez-Glasman, before he submitted his resignation, prompting residents to applaud. One by one, people addressed the council members, calling on them to step down from office. 'It's embarrassing what you guys brought to our city,' said Vicente Carrera, a longtime resident. 'You guys don't belong here, you guys belong in jail.' Some younger residents showed up to speak on behalf of their parents who they say were afraid to speak out. Some expressed frustration that again elected officials were putting themselves ahead of residents, especially at a time the Trump administration was carrying out mass deportations. Germain Rodriguez, 30, a resident, said seeing the current state of the park made him upset about how city officials have handled the project. 'It's so sad to see that there was all this potential there and instead of using it to its full potential you guys prefer to leave a big lot of dirt there,' Rodriguez said. 'We could have done a lot with that space.' After hearing the speakers, Ruedas, the Cudahy resident, addressed the council. He spoke of how he witnessed the scandals unfold in his town and in nearby Bell. He said they made him want to go to college so that he could return and give back to the community. But the scandals were a reminder of the challenges he and other residents face. 'We are represented by people who don't seem to care about anything but themselves,' he said. 'It's a tale as old as time, and frankly, I'm just tired of this broken record.' As he talked, he noticed Sanabria smiling and called him out on it. 'I'm happy,' Sanabria said, clarifying later in the meeting that he was happy to see authorities try to bring things to light and hold people accountable for wrongdoing. But before that clarification, Ruedas felt offended. 'If you're happy this is happening, that's really sad too,' he told the councilman. 'I'm not happy that this is happening. These are my communities, this is people's money. People are scared to go outside because of ICE raids. Please consider what is happening out here, consider stepping down, consider making room for others.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
‘It's a tale as old as time': Huntington Park residents lambaste leaders over corruption probe
Add Huntington Park to the list of southeast Los Angeles County cities rocked by political corruption allegations. At a special City Council meeting Friday night, three of the city's four council members were served recall notices — two days after the Los Angeles County district attorney's office executed nearly a dozen search warrants tied to a corruption probe into the alleged misuse of millions of dollars meant for construction of a $24-million aquatic center, which has not been built. At the same meeting, the city attorney tendered his resignation and the mayor tried to end the meeting by threatening to walk out — all to a chorus of snarky comments and jeers of irate residents. One woman was escorted out by a pair of police officers for yelling and speaking out of turn. In a passionate speech, Councilmember Arturo Flores, one of two city leaders not under investigation, alleged that the recall effort was being spearheaded by the consultant whose home and offices were recently searched by the district attorney along with those of a contractor, the mayor, city manager, and three current and former council members. 'I will go to war for my community,' Flores said. 'Let's focus on investigating the failed pool project, let's focus on tracing back the millions of unaccounted money and restoring the faith and trust of local government for the people.' Witnessing the night's event was 26-year-old Emmanuel Carreras Ruedas, a tall, slender man with long, wavy black hair, who sat in the back of the council chambers. Ruedas was not a resident of the city; he lives in Cudahy, but like many young people in the southeast region, he said he was fed up with the political corruption that has long stymied the economic growth of some working-class cities. The southeast region is made up of about 26 cities and neighborhoods nestled between Los Angeles and Orange counties. Because they serve as an entryway to both counties, they are sometimes referred to as the Gateway Cities. At the heart of the region are about a dozen communities including Compton, Cudahy, Vernon, Commerce, Bell and Huntington Park. They sit between the 110 and 710 freeways, two major commercial arteries that connect to the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. Their proximity to the freeways and industrial sectors has severely affected the health of their large immigrant and Latino populations. It is these same towns that for decades have been rocked by political scandals, so much so that lawmakers often refer to the small area as the 'corridor of corruption.' The cities include South Gate, where someone tried to assassinate a councilman in the early 2000s. In 2010, the city of Bell came under the national spotlight when it was revealed that the city manager and several council members were receiving exorbitant salaries and using the town's coffers as their own personal bank. Two years later, Cudahy, a 1.2-square-mile city, made headlines when the mayor, a council member and a longtime administrator were arrested and charged in a federal bribery case. A photo of the councilman surrendering to federal agents after a five-hour long standoff circulated across the country. Scandals in one town, Vernon, were so epic that they became the inspiration for a season of HBO's 'True Detective.' And now, Huntington Park finds itself on the list. The investigation into the town's alleged misuse of public funds came as city leaders were facing heat and legal questions over the removal of former Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo, who they claimed was not living in the city. A copy of a warrant reviewed by The Times shows that investigators are looking into allegations of bribery, misappropriation of public funds, conflict of interest, money laundering and conspiracy. The warrant also names Efren Martinez under the 'case name.' Martinez, who owns Unified Consulting Services, is the same consultant whose home and offices were among those searched by investigators last week, according to a statement from the district attorney's office. Martinez, who has run for state Assembly office several times but lost, could not be reached for comment by phone or through his firm's website. It's not the first time Martinez has caused controversy in the city. A Times investigation found that as a political consultant, Mayor Karina Macias helped raise money for Martinez when he planned to run for state Assembly in 2016. But he never ran. Some of the contributors were linked to companies that were awarded contracts by Macias and the council majority, including the city's bus service and dial-a-ride operator, its street sweeping and bus stop maintenance vendor and towing company. The district attorney inquired about Macias' political consulting work but did not pursue charges against her. Macias has maintained she has never done anything wrong. In a statement to residents Friday, Macias said city staff were working diligently with authorities to ensure they were receiving all the information related to the aquatic center project at Salt Lake Park, which includes an Olympic size pool and a synthetic football field. Macias said environmental issues have contributed to long delays and put the blame on a 'small group of individuals not wanting to see it completed.' She accused the media of spreading misinformation and said the city had completed construction of its football field in 2021. 'For over three years, there have been countless meetings, testing, site surveys, remediation and environmental planning between our city, state and county agencies, including Janice Hahn's Office,' Macias' statement read. 'Throughout this ridiculously long process our city manager and staff have been working diligently doing all of the required testing, remediation and planning alongside these environmental agencies.' But sitting next to her, Councilmember Jonathan Sanabria, who is also not under investigation, said the football field was a tiny part of the overall project. It was Sanabria who got into a heated argument with the town's city attorney, Arnold M. Alvarez-Glasman, before he submitted his resignation, prompting residents to applaud. One by one, people addressed the council members, calling on them to step down from office. 'It's embarrassing what you guys brought to our city,' said Vicente Carrera, a longtime resident. 'You guys don't belong here, you guys belong in jail.' Some younger residents showed up to speak on behalf of their parents who they say were afraid to speak out. Some expressed frustration that again elected officials were putting themselves ahead of residents, especially at a time the Trump administration was carrying out mass deportations. Germain Rodriguez, 30, a resident, said seeing the current state of the park made him upset about how city officials have handled the project. 'It's so sad to see that there was all this potential there and instead of using it to its full potential you guys prefer to leave a big lot of dirt there,' Rodriguez said. 'We could have done a lot with that space.' After hearing the speakers, Ruedas, the Cudahy resident, addressed the council. He spoke of how he witnessed the scandals unfold in his town and in nearby Bell. He said they made him want to go to college so that he could return and give back to the community. But the scandals were a reminder of the challenges he and other residents face. 'We are represented by people who don't seem to care about anything but themselves,' he said. 'It's a tale as old as time, and frankly, I'm just tired of this broken record.' As he talked, he noticed Sanabria smiling and called him out on it. 'I'm happy,' Sanabria said, clarifying later in the meeting that he was happy to see authorities try to bring things to light and hold people accountable for wrongdoing. But before that clarification, Ruedas felt offended. 'If you're happy this is happening, that's really sad too,' he told the councilman. 'I'm not happy that this is happening. These are my communities, this is people's money. People are scared to go outside because of ICE raids. Please consider what is happening out here, consider stepping down, consider making room for others.'
Fox News
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Huntington, California city hall and mayor's home raided in $14M public funds probe
A city hall building, the mayor's house and some residences of current and former council members in Huntington, California, were raided on Wednesday in a major corruption probe of a $14 million project, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. The investigation, named "Operation Dirty Pond," has been focusing on the "potential misuse of millions of dollars in public funds allocated for the construction of an aquatic center" since November 2022, the DA's Office said. The Huntington Park Regional Aquatic Center, which was deemed "critical" on the city website, was expected to become a two-story building with an Olympic-size pool, gym, football field, conference rooms and more. However, residents never saw any results, according to the city's vice mayor. "This is a project that has yielded nothing for the residents," vice mayor Arturo Flores said to FOX 11 Los Angeles. "It's my understanding that there's an estimated $14 million, give or take, that has been expended by the city, and that from those funds, the residents of the city have only received an empty lot with dead grass and nothing to show for those millions of dollars." Fox News Digital also reached out to Huntington Park Mayor Karina Macias and vice mayor Arturo Flores for comment but did not immediately hear back. Former Huntington Park city councilmember Linda Caraballo reportedly said she sent a 282-page dossier to the DA's Office many years ago to alarm them of alleged corruption. Caraballo said to the local station that "big time city officials from the city manager all the way down to the shot caller" should be prepared. "Heads are going to roll and a lot of people are going to be really put into some serious problems," Caraballo said to FOX 11. "They all should find lawyers right away." Valentin Amezquita, another former Huntington Park city councilmember, said to FOX 11 that this may not be the city's only corrupt project and suggests conducting a "forensic audit of the city of current and past contracts." "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Amezquita said to the local station. "There's many, many more." Numerous items were seized during the searches, including public records, financial paperwork and electronic devices, according to the DA's Office. "My office is committed to ensuring that public officials uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and transparency," Hochman said. "When concerns arise about the use of public funds or the actions of those in office, it is our duty to investigate thoroughly and protect the public's trust." "I want to commend our dedicated prosecutors and investigators for their diligent work on this complex case. Their unwavering commitment to justice ensures that no one — regardless of their position or title — is above the law."
