LA County Sheriff's Dept. suspends team over Latino traffic stops

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has suspended a unit that stopped thousands of innocent Latinos on a freeway to search for drugs.

A spokeswoman tells the Los Angeles Times Friday that the Domestic Highway Enforcement Team was suspended last month and its deputies reassigned while operations are under review.

Newly elected Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he supports the move.

The county's inspector general is investigating whether the program racially profiled drivers. He's already told the Civilian Oversight Commission that drivers' constitutional rights were violated.

The investigation began after a Times report that said Latinos comprised 69 percent of drivers stopped on Interstate 5 under the program between 2012 and 2017. The paper also said Latino drivers had their cars searched at a far higher rate than other racial groups.