Police raid California mayor’s house, city hall in $14 million corruption probe

• A corruption investigation called “Operation Dirty Pond” is targeting top officials in Huntington Park, California, including the current mayor. Authorities executed search warrants at City Hall and 10 other locations.
• The investigation began in 2022 after $24 million was allocated for a new aquatic center, which remains incomplete.
• Huntington Park officials confirmed their cooperation with the investigation, which has resulted in the seizure of public records, computers and financial documents.

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A city outside of Los Angeles is at the center of a corruption investigation involving top city officials, including the current mayor. Los Angeles authorities are calling it “Operation Dirty Pond.”

Search warrant executed at City Hall

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, authorities executed a search warrant at Huntington Park City Hall. They said they were searching for evidence related to the alleged misuse of millions of dollars in an aquatic center project.

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Authorities claimed the raid was part of a broader investigation into the actions of current and former city leaders.

In addition to City Hall, authorities raided 10 other locations. Some other places included the homes of Huntington Park Mayor Karina Macias, the city manager, construction group officials and a city council member.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman is overseeing the investigation. He said he opened the investigation to uphold the highest standards for officials in the area.

“My office is committed to ensuring that public officials uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity and transparency,” Hochman said.

Delayed aquatic center project

The investigation began in 2022 after taxpayer dollars were allocated to build a new aquatic center in the heart of Huntington Park. Despite a $24 million investment, the site remains a dirt plot several years later. Officials said they’ve spent $14 million on the project.

Officials launched the aquatic center project in 2019. It was supposed to create a 30,000-square-foot facility. The facility would’ve featured an Olympic-sized swimming pool, conference rooms, a gym and a football field.

On the city’s website, officials explained the delays in a frequently asked questions section. The city cited technical and environmental issues. The project, initially scheduled to take 12 to 18 months, is well past its projected completion date.

City cooperating with investigation

In response to the raids, Huntington Park officials released a statement confirming both current and former city officials’ homes were searched.

“The city is committed to cooperating fully with the District Attorney’s office throughout this process and remains dedicated to resolving the matter promptly and transparently,” the statement read.

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The district attorney’s office confirmed the seizure of public records, computers, tablets and financial documents during the raids. While the investigation is ongoing, no arrests have been made. The relevance of the seized materials remains unclear.