In a stunning escalation of a rapidly unfolding scandal, federal law enforcement sources confirm that Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez is now under active FBI investigation following a deleted social media video in which she allegedly called on notorious LA gangs to rise up against ICE.
According to an exclusive video posted by FOX NEWS reporter Bill Melugin, federal sources speaking exclusively to FOX NEWS, Gonzalez appears to have called for members of 18th Street and Florencia 13, two of LA’s most violent criminal street gangs, to “defend their territory from ICE” in a now-deleted video posted late last week. Even more shocking, she reportedly demanded gang leadership to “get your fucking members in order.”
For the second time in the last 10 days, another elected official in LA County is not just condoning violence, but now going a step farther and allegedly calling on organized criminal street gangs to take action against federal law enforcement.
This bombshell explains the FBI’s unannounced visit to Gonzalez’s home, which she herself confirmed in a public Facebook post now being widely circulated:
“I need a lawyer. The FBI just came to my house. If anyone wants to support please DM me.”
In a follow-up post still visible as of this writing, Gonzalez called it a First Amendment issue and asked for legal referrals to the ACLU – ignoring the obvious: Free speech protections don’t cover inciting gang violence.
While the FBI’s LA field office declined to confirm or deny the existence of an ongoing investigation, as is standard procedure, they issued a crystal clear statement to FOX News:
“We condemn any call for gang violence.”
FROM ROLE MODEL TO RADICAL?
Gonzalez, already a controversial figure, is also running for a 2026 seat on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. Her campaign website touts a progressive platform centered on dismantling “systems of oppression” in education. But now, she may be facing a dismantling of her own – by federal prosecutors.
The allegations stand in stark contrast to Gonzalez’s carefully curated public image. A longtime educator, Gonzalez proudly states:
“I am a proud product, parent, former principal, and Director of Schools in LAUSD. Currently, I am the Director of UCLA’s Principal Leadership Institute.”
Born and raised in Huntington Park, the daughter of hardworking immigrant parents—her father a newspaper deliveryman and metal foundry worker, her mother an adult-school graduate turned small business owner – Gonzalez’s life story is one of the American dream realized through education. She was the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. Today, she lives in Cudahy with her two daughters, both in public school.
It’s the kind of origin story that opens doors, and wins elections.
But it’s also the reason this scandal cuts deeper.
POLITICAL SUICIDE OR CALCULATED CHAOS
Legal experts say the FBI wouldn’t be involved unless the allegations were serious, and inciting gang violence against federal agents could potentially violate multiple federal statutes, including:
• 18 U.S. Code § 373 – Solicitation to commit a violent federal crime
• 18 U.S. Code § 2385 – Advocating the use of force against the U.S. government
• RICO statutes if any coordination with known gang entities is established
Whether this was a reckless outburst, performative extremism, or an attempt to score political points with activist circles, Gonzalez has catapulted herself, and the city of Cudahy, into a national spotlight.
What remains is this chilling fact: an elected official allegedly invoked gang power as a political weapon against federal law enforcement.
As of publication, Dr. Gonzalez and the City of Cudahy have made no public statements regarding the investigation.
What began as a quiet 2026 campaign has now exploded into a full-blown federal scandal—one that could end with Gonzalez not just off the ballot, but in handcuffs.
This is a developing story.
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