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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.
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“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.”
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“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.”
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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.
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