Los Angeles County officials are facing scrutiny from the FBI after a deputy mayor allegedly posted videos on social media encouraging gang members to defend their territory from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This situation reportedly escalated last week when Cynthia Gonzalez, the deputy mayor of Cudahy, shared a video urging local gang leaders on 18th Avenue and Florencia 13 to protect their neighborhoods from ICE agents.
In her video, Gonzalez questioned the apparent silence of gang members regarding their turf being invaded. She stated, “There’s nothing, but I want to know where all of the Choros in Los Angeles are… You guys tag everything—claim the hood. And now, there’s no peep from you as your hood is being invaded by the biggest gangsters out there.” This raised eyebrows about the level of support Cudahy officials were suggesting for local gangs in resisting federal authorities.
Moreover, she further commented, “Don’t try to insist that there’s no block either. If you haven’t appeared now… I don’t want to hear a peep from you when they’re gone.” Towards the conclusion of her message, Gonzalez seemed to push gang leaders to rally their members for a more organized response.
Shortly after the video circulated, she reportedly deleted it, but not before an FBI agent visited her home as part of an ongoing investigation. Following the incident, Gonzalez returned to social media to express concerns about the FBI’s involvement and mentioned needing an attorney.
The FBI’s Los Angeles division has stated it cannot confirm any specifics related to the investigation but denied claims that it incites violence among gangs.
The 18th Avenue gang is estimated to have between 30,000 and 50,000 members, primarily involved in drug distribution, alongside various other crimes. Meanwhile, the Florencia 13 gang has also faced serious charges recently, including fentanyl trafficking.
Reports from earlier this week indicated that recent anti-ICE protests have cost taxpayers around $32 million, despite being framed as peaceful gatherings. The protests resulted in injuries to nearly a dozen deputies.
As of now, Gonzalez and the city of Cudahy have not provided any comments regarding the situation.
