LA County vice mayor allegedly faces FBI probe after message urging gangs against ICE
A Los Angeles County official is reportedly under investigation by the FBI after posting a video on social media calling on gang members to defend their territory from ICE agents. Cynthia Gonzalez, the vice mayor of Cudahy in southeast Los Angeles County, allegedly shared the video last week, encouraging 18th Street and Florencia 13 gang members to protect their turf.
In the video, Gonzalez is seen urging gang members to organize and help with local resistance efforts against ICE. She tells them not to claim territory if they are not willing to defend it and calls on gang leaders to get their members in order. The video was deleted shortly after it was posted, but Gonzalez was visited by FBI agents at her home and is now allegedly under federal investigation.
The FBI has not confirmed or denied the investigation, but they have condemned any call for gang violence. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security called Gonzalez’s comments “despicable” and warned that assaulting federal officers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The City of Cudahy released a statement saying that Gonzalez’s views do not represent the official position of the city. The 18th Street gang, with 30,000 to 50,000 members, is known for drug distribution and other crimes. Florencia 13 is based in southern Los Angeles and has been involved in fentanyl trafficking, extortion, and murder.
Anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles have cost taxpayers $32 million, with nearly a dozen deputies injured. Gonzalez and the City of Cudahy have not responded to requests for comment. Sophia Compton, a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital, has a background in business reporting and TV news production. She graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
