The vice mayor of Cudahy is apologizing for a video she posted to social media last month, apparently encouraging “cholos” -or gang members- to organize against immigration raids in Southern California.
Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez last month called out the 18th Street and Florencia street gangs, saying they weren’t doing enough to stand against federal agents conducting raids in their “territory.”
On Tuesday, Gonzalez apologized for what she called a “satirical” video.
“To be clear, I created this video in my personal time and on my personal page,” she said during a City Council meeting. “The message was not about violence; it was about regular people – us, Martin had joined me in one of these – claiming ownership of our streets in a time of great distress and asking others, who I mentioned in my video, in organizing and protesting against the harm and violence being inflicted on our community. I want to apologize to city staff, members of the council and my community that my video took attention away from the pain our communities are experiencing and brought unnecessary attention to our city.”
That attention, much of it negative, poured in after Gonzalez spoke directly to gang members in the video and called federal agents members of “the biggest gang there is.”
“You guys are all about territory and ‘This is 18th Street’ and ‘This is Florencia’ and you guys tag everything up claiming hood,” she said. “And now that your hood is being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain’t a peep out of you.”
In response, the Los Angeles Police Protective League called for her resignation and possible prosecution.
The Department of Homeland Security also chimed in, calling her remarks “despicable.”
“She calls for criminal gangs – including the vicious 18th street gang—to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement,” DHS said on social media. “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.”
