Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez is under fire after a now-deleted TikTok video showed her asking LA street gangs why they aren’t protecting their hood after it’s “being invaded by the biggest gang there is,” referring to ICE.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) — a police union that represents more than 8,900 members of the LAPD — called for Gonzalez’s resignation and prosecution.
In a video posted to TikTok, Gonzalez, the vice mayor of Cudahy in southeast Los Angeles County, questioned the leadership of 18th Street and Florencia 13 gang members, urging them to defend their territory from ICE agents. The LAPPL said Gonzalez’s video put law enforcement officers and ICE agents 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.”
Mendoza initially thought the video must have been generated by artificial intelligence. He was shocked an elected official of a city would speak like that — much less post it on social media — and called it “irresponsible.”
“I was like, ‘This is ridiculous,’” Mendoza said. “With the things that are going on right now — it’s dangerous.”
However, it was real. Gonzalez broke her silence Thursday, refuting claims she incited violence or called on gangs to confront ICE agents.
FOX 11 Los Angeles reported her attorney, Damian Martinez, released a statement on Thursday in which she said Gonzalez “called upon her local community to exercise their First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly to express their views on recent ICE enforcement actions” in the social media post.
“Dr. Gonzalez in no way encouraged anyone to engage in violence. Any suggestion that she advocated for violence is categorically false and without merit,” Martinez said.
“Her message was entirely peaceful and aimed at encouraging civic engagement through lawful and constructive means. Dr. Gonzalez is deeply committed to fostering open dialogue on important and often controversial issues,” her attorney added.
In early June, anti-ICE protests erupted in LA and lasted for more than a week, resulting 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 now-deleted video that shows Gonzalez speaking into the camera, she questioned why street gangs aren’t organizing and protesting against ICE agents in Los Angeles.
“I want to know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles,” Gonzalez said in the video. “Where’s the leadership at? You are all about territory. …They’re ain’t a peep out of you. It’s everyone else who is not about the gang life that’s out there protesting and speaking up. We’re out there fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people.”
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.
In a statement, the LAPPL added: “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. Her actions are deplorable and potentially illegal. She should resign and she should be prosecuted if what she called for broke the law.”
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.”
“They’re running a muck all up on your streets and in your city,” Gonzalez said in the video. “We’re out here, the regular ones, trying to organize people. Don’t be trying to claim no block, no nothing if you’re not showing up right now trying to help out and organize.”
FBI agents later visited Gonzalez at her home and she’s now allegedly under federal investigation, according to federal sources. FBI Los Angeles told Fox News they could not confirm or deny an investigation.
FOX 11 Los Angeles reported that several Facebook comments on her page were also deleted, as Gonzalez confirmed she was under investigation by federal the FBI.
Gonzalez allegedly wrote, “I need a lawyer. The FBI just came to my house.” Adding, “It was about a TikTok that I made that went viral. Literally a TikTok.”
In an X post on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called the comments made by Gonzalez “despicable.”
The comments made by the Vice Mayor of Cudahy, CA, Cynthia Gonzalez, are despicable. She calls for criminal gangs – including the vicious 18th street gang—to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement.
This kind of garbage has led to a more than 500 percent increase… pic.twitter.com/c7yX0xB5o7
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 25, 2025
“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.
In an X post on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security shared more recently arrested criminal illegal aliens with the caption WORST OF THE WORST — LA EDITION:
While rioters and bad-faith politicians attempt to stop immigration enforcement in Los Angeles — @ICEgov continues to arrest criminal illegal aliens.
Under @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem, law enforcement is committed to making America SAFE again.
🧵WORST OF THE WORST — LA EDITION:
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 26, 2025
“While rioters and bad-faith politicians attempt to stop immigration enforcement in Los Angeles — @ICEgov continues to arrest criminal illegal aliens. Under @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem, law enforcement is committed to making America SAFE again.”
In another statement, a senior ICE official called Gonzalez’ comments “disgusting.”
“A roving gang of murderers, rapists and drug peddlers are not going to protect American communities,” the statement read as reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles. “ICE and federal partners are working to protect public safety every day, contrary to the lies spread by disingenuous elected officials.”
