(Original Caption) Los Angeles, California: Bloods And Crips Make Music Video Bangin On Wax. (Photo by ?? Steve Starr/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Los Angeles County, California – Cynthia Gonzalez, the vice mayor of Cudahy, a small city in southeast Los Angeles County, is facing growing scrutiny over a social media video in which she appeared to call on street gangs to mobilize in response to recent immigration enforcement actions.
In the now-deleted video, Gonzalez invoked gang affiliations while expressing frustration over what she described as a lack of visible resistance from Los Angeles street gangs in the face of immigration raids. “I want to know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles,” she said. “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.”
Referring to federal immigration agents as “the biggest gang there is,” Gonzalez’s message appeared to contrast their activity with the silence of local gang members, questioning why they were not showing the same territorial defense they often express in other contexts. “We’re out there fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people and, like, where you at?” she added. At one point in the video, Gonzalez referenced 18th Street, a gang with decades-long roots in Los Angeles and a reputation as one of the most powerful street gangs in the country.
The remarks sparked immediate backlash, particularly from conservative media outlets, with Fox News reporting that federal authorities were “allegedly investigating” whether Gonzalez had incited violence against federal agents. While no formal charges or confirmation of an investigation have been made public, the FBI acknowledged the seriousness of any suggestion of violence against law enforcement.
“Generally speaking, of course, the FBI condemns any calls for violence or targeting of law enforcement with violence,” said Laura Eimiller, an agency spokesperson. She declined to confirm whether Gonzalez herself was the subject of an active probe, citing standard policy.
Gonzalez has not issued a public statement clarifying or retracting her comments, and she did not respond to a request for comment. However, the City of Cudahy sought to distance itself from the controversy.
“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 city said in a written statement. “The City will not be providing further comment.”
The controversy comes at a moment of heightened political tension around immigration enforcement, especially in California cities where there’s long been an entanglement of legacy of community trauma, mistrust of institutions, and the blurry boundaries between activism and rhetoric.
