Jose Antonio Mazariegos/Guatemala/Impersonating a Police Officer

Los Angeles enforcement officers arrested Jose Antonio Mazariegos, 58, of Guatemala, on Jan. 11 after uncovering a pattern of schemes in which he posed as a law enforcement officer to deceive victims.

Mazariegos has multiple prior convictions for impersonating a police officer, using the false authority to gain people’s trust and manipulate situations to his advantage.

Authorities say his repeated use of a fake badge and other trappings of law enforcement raised serious public safety concerns, particularly for vulnerable residents who believed they were dealing with a legitimate officer. A spokesman confirmed that after his latest arrest Mazariegos was transferred to federal immigration detention, where he remains in custody pending removal proceedings from the United States.