Cynthia Gonzalez, the vice mayor of Cudahy, a suburb of southeast Los Angeles County, is coming under fire for a video she posted on social media in which she appeared to be calling on street gangs to organize in the face of immigration sweeps.
“I want to know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles,” Gonzalez says in the video which has since been taken down. “You guys are always tagging everything up, claiming hood, and now that your hood’s being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain’t a peep out of you.”
“It’s everyone else who’s not about the gang life that’s out there protesting and speaking up,” she said. “We’re out there fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people and, like, where you at?”
The video seems to suggest she is calling on gang members to “help out and organize” and urging street gang leaders to “get your members in order.” Gonzalez makes reference to “18th Street,” the name of one of the largest street gangs in Los Angeles.
The video may have caught the attention of federal authorities. According to Fox News, which first reported on the video, Gonzalez was “allegedly being investigated” over whether she had called on street gangs to use violence against federal immigration agents.
Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, would neither confirm nor deny that the vice mayor was under investigation, per the agency’s policy.
“Generally speaking, of course, the FBI condemns any calls for violence or targeting of law enforcement with violence,” Eimiller said.
Gonzalez did no immediately respond to a request for comment.
But in a written statement, the city of Cudahy said it was aware of the comments made by Gonzalez on social media.
“The comments made by the Vice Mayor reflect her personal views and do not represent the views or official position of the City of Cudahy,” the statement read. “The City will not be providing further comment.”
