Latest news with #LAPPL
Fox News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
LA police union demands resignation of local official who allegedly incited gangs against ICE
The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) — a police union that represents more than 8,900 members of the LAPD — is calling for the resignation and prosecution of a local official after she seemingly encouraged gangs to defend their territory from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Cynthia Gonzalez, the vice mayor of Cudahy in southeast Los Angeles County, allegedly shared a video on social media late last week in which she appeared to urge 18th Street and Florencia 13 gang members to protect their turf from ICE agents. The LAPPL said Gonzalez's video put law enforcement officers at greater risk of harm. "It's dangerous," Richard Mendoza, a director with the LAPPL, told Fox News Digital. "… She should definitely resign from her position, and the district attorney or U.S. Attorney should bring charges against her if she crossed any legal lines." The 18th Street and Florencia 13 gangs are based out of LA and rule different areas, or turfs, through violence, intimidation and murder. Both gangs also have a known history of murdering police officers, according to a news release from the LAPPL. "These gang members are known to be violent," Mendoza said. "They've killed law enforcement officers in the past, and it's completely irresponsible and reprehensible for [Gonzalez] to even engage in that kind of talk or behavior." In the now-deleted video that Gonzalez allegedly posted online, she appeared to tell LA gang members they need to organize and help out with local resistance efforts against ICE. Toward the end of the video, the LA County official even seemingly calls on the leaders of the LA street gangs to "get your f***ing members in order." "Not for nothing, but I want to know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles," Gonzalez said in the video. "18th Street, Florencia — Where's the leadership at? Because you guys are all about territory … You guys tag 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." When Mendoza first saw the video the Cudahy vice mayor allegedly posted on social media, he said he thought it must have been generated by artificial intelligence because he could not believe "an elected official of a city would speak like that. "I was like, 'This is ridiculous,'" he said. "With the things that are going on right now — it's dangerous." Earlier this month, anti-ICE protests in LA resulted in nearly a dozen deputies suffering injuries as protesters launched rocks, Molotov cocktails and "high-grade pyrotechnics" at them, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna announced recently. "In the last riots within the city of Los Angeles, we had 52 officers that were injured —12 that are still recovering at home from their injuries," Mendoza said. "…And now [Mendoza's] calling on these [gang members] as a call to action. It's irresponsible." After posting the video, Gonzalez was visited by FBI agents at her home and is now allegedly under federal investigation, according to federal sources. FBI Los Angeles told Fox News they could not confirm or deny an investigation was underway, but said they condemn any call for gang violence. In an X post on Tuesday night, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called the comments made by Gonzalez "despicable." "She calls for criminal gangs — including the vicious 18th street gang — to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement," the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wrote. "This kind of garbage has led to a more than 500 percent increase in assaults against our ICE law enforcement officers. Secretary Noem has been clear: If you assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Cynthia Gonzalez and the City of Cudahy did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The Hill
17 hours ago
- The Hill
LA police union calls for resignation of Cudahy vice-mayor over ‘cholos' post
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) —The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), which represents nearly 9,000 members of the LAPD, is calling for the resignation and possible prosecution of Cudahy Vice-Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez following what they described as a 'shameful social media video post.' The video advocates for local street gangs to confront peace officers, urging leaders of The 18th Street and Florencia street gangs to 'get your f—ing members in order,' the LAPPL said in a statement Wednesday. 'The 18th Street and Florencia street gangs are notoriously dangerous Los Angeles-based criminal enterprises,' a portion of the LAPPL's statement reads. 'They rule their 'turfs' through intimidation, violence, and murder, and finance their operations through the sale of narcotics and illegal firearms, prostitution, and protection rackets.' Although the video doesn't call for any specific violent actions, Gonzalez identifies the two well-known criminal gangs by name for not making a 'peep' as their 'hood is being invaded.' 'I wanna know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles. 18th Street, Florencia. Where's the leadership at?… Now that your hood is being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain't a peep out of you,' she is heard saying in the video, which has since been removed. The LAPPL says both gangs have a known history of murdering police officers, citing the killing of LAPD Officer Filberto Cuesta by an 18th Street gang member in 1998 and several Florencia gang members who were convicted of the 2022 murder of LAPD Officer Fernando Arroyos. In 2001, there were reports that the 18th Street gang had placed a bounty for the wounding or murder of Los Angeles Police officers. 'What Ms. Gonzalez urged and taunted these specific gangs to do in her social media post puts police officers and other law enforcement professionals at greater risk,' the LAPPL said. 'Her actions are deplorable and potentially illegal. She should resign and she should be prosecuted if what she called for broke the law.'
