RALEIGH, N.C. — A two-year investigation by the US Department of Justice has found that a North Carolina sheriff and his deputies routinely discriminated against Latinos by making unwarranted arrests with the intent of maximizing deportations.

In an 11-page report issued Tuesday, the federal agency said Alamance County Sheriff Terry S. Johnson and his deputies violated the constitutional rights of US citizens and legal residents by illegally targeting, stopping, detaining, and arresting Latinos without probable cause.

Johnson suggested the probe was a political.

‘‘We have never discriminated against Spanish-speaking persons in any way, shape or form,’’ the sheriff said Tuesday. ‘‘The Obama administration has decided to continue to wage war on local law enforcement.’’