One would be led to believe that a United States Mail Service distribution center was sort of “National Security” location or as officials would describe it as “[**Critical Infrastructure**](https://www.dhs.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors)” when it is anything but that.
[**Southern California Citizen Journalist Felipe “Phillip” Hernandez**](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT0Ik35Bm0E2uspXOZZ5oWA) was accompanied by a few local auditors when he went by the US Postal Service Central Distribution Center, where he covered the exterior and the interior of the building without any issues or contact.
Once Hernandez began documenting one of the controlled entry points, the US Postal Service Police (Security) begin to attempt to interact with him.
This went on for a short period only to continue when the group went to another gate to then have an individual in an unmarked car follow and surveil them. The group continued to document without and further interaction and left the area.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is a program that came to be after 9/11. The program is an effort to create a conduit of information from the street to HQ FBI with information that is supposed to be “Terrorist Related”.
On Wednesday, October 19, 2016, I received a phone call from Mr. Hernandez, letting me know that someone claiming to be with the FBI had been out trying to track him down to speak with him. Knowing from past interactions others have had with employees of the FBI.
I instructed Mr. Hernandez to “Do Not Answer any Questions” and “If they have any questions to call his Attorney”. After a few minutes went by, I called Mr. Hernandez back, his daughter answered the phone and advised me that that (2) men were at the gate in front of their house and her father had been speaking with the for a few moments. I asked to speak with the individual doing all the talking, and she handed the phone to the guy doing all the talking and told him that I wanted to speak with him.
https://youtu.be/Ef-FSE3DLB8
[https://clyp.it/](https://clyp.it/)
The phone call was documented partially on video and partially on phone audio. I asked the individual to identify himself and he did so without issue, this individual was a local law enforcement member of the [**Southern California FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force**](https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism/joint-terrorism-task-forces) who is employed by the City of Los Angeles Police Department as a Detective. I let him know that Mr. Hernandez is a Citizen Journalist who documents public officials performing their duties in a public space and that he nor any of his associates have any ill intent and that this was a complete waste of time and resources.
It turned out that someone utilized the “[**See Something, Say Something**](https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something)” reporting process and thus members of a Joint Terrorism Task Force are now many miles away from the primary jurisdiction trying to question someone who was simply capturing video and taking some images. Absolutely things terrorists are known to do, in broad daylight. Yeah, Nope, not even in the movies or on television has anyone who has committed any act of terror ever, ever done so and yet here we have untold amounts of money and resources used simply to chase wild geese.
After clarifying the situation and then address this with, “I wish there were a Task Force to go After Corrupt Cops and other Government Officials” with the same fervor as they did with Citizen Journalists. I spoke with him about past documented interactions with FBI Task Force Members and specifically the case of the late Adam Rupeka, [**who’s activism and activities drew the ire of local law enforcement that they targeted him which escalated to a point, he fled to Mexico where per local officials he and his girlfriend ended their lives with a narcotic overdose.**](https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2016/04/06/new-york-cop-block-activist-found-dead-in-tiajuana-of-drug-overdose-was-fugutive-with-girlfriend/)
Some would say that this is a measure of how active of an activist you are, not that you can’t get a visit by never leaving the house, because evidence shows otherwise. From this report one should have a few “takeaways”, respond in the comments with what you gathered from this report and share any thoughts. Till next time …………..
