LA County Vice Mayor Faces FBI Probe Over Gang Anti-ICE Calls

Cynthia Gonzalez, the vice mayor of Cudahy in southeast Los Angeles County, is under FBI investigation after posting a social media video urging members of the 18th Street and Florencia 13 gangs to defend their neighborhoods against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. In the video, Gonzalez called on gang leadership to organize and protect their territory from what she called the 'biggest gang there is,' referring to ICE, and criticized gangs for not showing up to assist. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security condemned her remarks as inciting violence against federal officers, noting a significant rise in attacks on ICE personnel. The City of Cudahy distanced itself from Gonzalez’s statements, emphasizing they reflect her personal views and not the city's official position. Local officials, including the mayor of Huntington Park, condemned the video and highlighted concerns about the presence of immigration enforcement in their communities. The controversy follows recent costly anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, which resulted in injuries to law enforcement and heightened tensions around immigration enforcement in the region.