FBI probing LA County politician who urged gangbangers to ‘protect our turf' from ICE: report
The FBI has opened an investigation into the vice mayor of a Los Angeles County city after she posted a video urging Latino street gangs to fight back against federal immigration agents, according to a report.
Cynthia Gonzalez, vice mayor of Cudahy, found herself in federal investigators' crosshairs after she posted a video on social media calling for members of the 18th Street and Florencia 13 gangs to 'protect' their 'turf,' sources told FOX News reporter Bill Melugin.
In her now-deleted video, Gonzalez taunted the predominantly Mexican and Mexican-American gangs, saying they couldn't lay claim to territory in her town unless they stood up to Immigration and Customs Enforcement — 'the biggest gang there is.'
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5 Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez appeared to call for gang members to defend territory from ICE.
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5 A burning car during an anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles.
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5 Protest in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's policies on illegal immigration.
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Gonzalez later posted that the FBI came to her house and that she needs a lawyer, according to Melugin, who claimed federal sources tipped him off to an 'active investigation.'
A spokesperson for the FBI's LA field office neither confirmed nor denied the investigation to The Post, but emphasized that the Bureau condemns all gang violence.
'It's everyone else who's not about the gang life that's out there protesting and speaking up,' Gonzalez said in her now-deleted video. 'We're out there … protecting our turf and protecting our people. And, like, where you at?'
5 A protester holds up a sign that reads 'ICE: OUT OF OUR COMMUNITIES!' in front of a burning fire.
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5 National Guard soldiers in riot gear face a protester at a demonstration.
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The 18th Street Gang and Florencia 13 engage in drug trafficking, robbery and other violent crimes, according to the Justice Department.
Florencia 13 is a roughly 3,000-member regional chapter of the Mexican Mafia prison gang.
The 18th Street Gang has between 30,000 and 50,000 members across 28 states, and its California membership is around 80% undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America.
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Gonzalez grew up in LA County and has lived in Cudahy for 12 years, according to her official bio. Her background is in education policy, and she has two master's degrees from UCLA.
Her office did not immediately respond to the Post's request for comment.
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