Federal authorities have reportedly opened an investigation into a California city official after she posted a video encouraging gang members to respond to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in their neighborhoods.
Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez came under scrutiny following a social media video, which has since been deleted, in which she challenged members of the notorious 18th Street and Florencia 13 gangs.
In the recording, Gonzalez questioned why gang leaders were absent as ICE conducted enforcement operations in Los Angeles areas traditionally claimed by these groups.
Bill Melugin, a national correspondent for Fox News, shared the video and revealed that federal agents had visited Gonzalez’s home.
According to Melugin’s sources, Gonzalez is currently under active federal investigation.
Gonzalez reportedly confirmed the FBI’s visit on her social media accounts and stated she would be seeking legal representation.
In the video, Gonzalez directly addresses the gangs, asking, “Not for nothing, but I wanna know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles? Eighteenth Street, Florencia, where’s the leadership at?”
She accused the gangs of silence during the enforcement actions and said their neighborhoods were “being invaded by the biggest gang there is,” a clear reference to ICE agents.
Gonzalez drew a stark contrast between the silence of gang members and the vocal protests from community members not affiliated with gangs.
“It’s everyone else who’s 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,” she said.
She went further to warn that gang members should not later claim ownership of neighborhoods if they failed to actively defend them.
“I don’t want to hear a peep out of you once they’re gone, trying to claim that this is my block,” Gonzalez added. “This was not your block, you weren’t even here helping out.”
This incident has come amid nationwide concerns about increased risks for immigration officers.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently disclosed data indicating that assaults on ICE personnel have surged by 500 percent in recent months.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin spoke to Breitbart News about the dangers ICE officers face while enforcing immigration laws.
She highlighted the case of Roberto Carlos Munoz, an illegal immigrant and convicted child sex offender, who allegedly dragged an ICE agent 50 yards with his vehicle while attempting to evade arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota.
“Just this week, an ICE officer was dragged 50 yards by a car while arresting an illegal alien sex offender,” McLaughlin told Breitbart. “Every day the men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also weighed in on the issue, blaming Democrats for creating an environment that encourages hostility toward ICE agents.
Miller shared a DHS video showing a man using a weed whacker to assault federal officers, underscoring the increasing dangers federal immigration agents face.
As of now, Gonzalez has not issued any further public comments regarding the video or the investigation.
The FBI has not publicly confirmed details of the inquiry, and no charges have been filed.
WATCH:
The post FBI Investigates California Vice Mayor After Video Urging Gangs to Confront ICE Agents: Report appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Gloriel Howard
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://resistthemainstream.org and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
