This browser does not support the Video element.
PHOENIX - Imagine creating your own country, and then creating your own pseudo law enforcement.
It might sound far-fetched, but that is exactly what one Phoenix man did.
Mark Corona is the law enforcement for a ‘country’ called Slowjamastan. This is not a polity one can find on a map, but it is a creation that has taken social media by storm.
"We started our country," said Corona. "It’s the Republic of Slowjamastan."
Mark Corona's 'Porder Batrol' vehicle
Corona's vehicle, which has the words "Porder Batrol" printed on it (this is not a typo. You read it right. It's ‘Porder Batrol.’), has been spotted on Phoenix area roadways. Corona is the Chief ‘Porder Batrol’ agent of Slowjamastan, complete with a K-9 unit by his side. He talked about how Slowjamastan came about.
"My best friend, who play the Sultan for Slowjamastan, had traveled the whole world. 198 counties. His idea was, at the end, I wanna start my own county," said Corona.
The two purchased 11 acres of land near the Salton Sea in California, and posted a billboard. Since then, the ‘country’ has gotten some attention.
Republic of Slowjamistan
"On the way home today, a guy was, like, yelling ‘hey man! I’m a big fan of the Porder Batrol!'" said Corona. "He’s, like, getting his phone out, yelling all kinds of stuff, so I get on my radio and say "my friend, thank you so much. We appreciate your loyalty to Slowjamastan!"
It can be a lot of fun for a person to run their own country, and Corona has some stories about it.
"We’ve had some real good ones. I got detained in Riverside. Police officers pulled me over. They took me out of the truck. They handcuffed me, and they threw me in the back of their squad car. That was fun," Corona recounted. "I thought for a second ‘you know what, maybe this is illegal, and now I’m really in trouble.’ It’s the only time since we’ve done that I thought I was really in trouble. Supervisor comes along. He says 'you know what? I know these guys. I totally get it. Let the guy go!"
Mark Corona and his 'K9'
Corona wants to stress he and his best friend do not break any laws. Corona doesn't pull anyone over, and the Porder Batrol vehicle does not have red and blue lights on it. Corona is also not impersonating law enforcement officers.
In all, Corona is just having fun with it, and they even have laws for Slowjamastan, including no Crocs, no feet on the car's dashboard, and a requirement to eat string cheese by peeling it.
Corona also said they have sent in official paperwork to Washington, in an effort to make Slowjamastan a recognized country.
This browser does not support the Video element.
A 'Porder Batrol' vehicle? Meet the man who owns it
It's a car that has caught the attention of a lot of people, and the Arizona man who owns a truck has a rather unique story behind the vehicle. As it turns out, Mark Corona is not trying to impersonate Border Patrol. Rather, the car is part of a 'country' called 'Slowjamistan.' FOX 10's Marissa Sarbak has more on a story that is rather out of the ordinary.