The vice mayor of a city in southeastern Los Angeles County is under fire June 25 after posting a social media video that appeared to call on local drug-trafficking gangs to protect their territory from federal immigration authorities.

Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez, the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a pilot school administrator, posted the now-deleted TikTok video Monday, garnering national attention and a possible federal investigation.

The video has been widely shared on social media this week.

“Not for nothing, but I want to know where all the ‘cholos’ are at in Los Angeles,” she said in the video, using a slang term for a gang member. “18th Street, Florencia—where’s the leadership at? Because you guys are all about territory and ‘This is 18th Street’ and ‘This is Florencia’ and 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. It’s everyone else who’s not about the gang life that’s out there protesting and speaking up. We’re out there, like, fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people, and, like, where you at?”

Florencia 13 is a large and violent street gang operating in Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It takes direction from the Mexican Mafia, a powerful prison gang, and claims to be affiliated with Sureños 13, also affiliated with the mafia. The “13” in the gang’s name signifies its allegiance to the Mexican Mafia.

The primary source of income for Florencia 13 is trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico. Gang members are also involved in assault, drive-by shootings, and homicide.

The 18th Street gang was formed in Los Angeles and has become a national drug trafficking organization, according to the DOJ. The gang has a membership of up to 50,000. In California, about 80 percent of its members are illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

The gang’s main source of income is the distribution of cocaine, marijuana, heroin and meth. Members are also involved in assault, auto theft, carjacking, drive-by shootings, extortion, homicide, identity theft, and robbery, the DOJ reported.

As the video continued, Gonzalez commented in Spanish: “Bien calladitos todos los cholitos,” which translates to “So silent, all the cholos.”

She continued: “Dude, they’re all running amok all up in your streets. On your streets and in your city. And, peep, when the big gang guns come in, nothing but, like, quiet. And we’re out here, the regular ones that have never been ‘jumped in’ out here calling things out, trying to organize people, and trying to do the thing.”

To be “jumped in” is a common form of gang initiation, which often includes beatings and other rites of passage.

The official also called on gang leadership to “get its members in order.”

City of Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez, the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a Los Angeles County school district administrator. (City of Cudahy)

“So don’t be trying to claim no block, no nothing if you’re not showing up right now, trying to, like, help out and organize,” Gonzalez said in the video. “I don’t want to hear a peep out of you once they’re gone, trying to claim that this is my block. This was not your block. You weren’t even here helping out. So whoever is the leadership over there, just ... get your members in order.”

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents sworn police officers in the city, demanded Gonzalez’s resignation Wednesday, saying her video was “shameful.”

“The 18th Street and Florencia street gangs are notoriously dangerous Los Angeles-based criminal enterprises,” the league wrote on social media. “Both gangs have a known history of murdering police officers. 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,” the league added. “She should resign and she should be prosecuted if what she called for broke the law.”

The FBI could not confirm with The Epoch Times whether the bureau had opened an investigation into the video or Gonzalez on Wednesday.

“Generally speaking, of course, the FBI condemns any calls for violence or targeting of law enforcement with violence,” FBI Los Angeles field office spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told The Epoch Times in an email.

Gonzalez and Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar Loza did not return requests for comment by publication time.

Demonstrators gather for the No Kings protest in Los Angeles on June 14, 2025. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

U.S. Homeland Security commented on the video Tuesday.

“The comments made by the Vice Mayor of Cudahy, CA, Cynthia Gonzalez, are despicable,” the department posted on X. “She calls for criminal gangs—including the vicious 18th street gang—to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement.”

Homeland Security said comments such as those seen in the video have contributed to a more than 500 percent increase in assaults against ICE officers.

“Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been clear: If you assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the department wrote.

The city of Cudahy said in a statement Tuesday that it was aware of Gonzalez’s video.

“The comments made by the Vice Mayor reflect her personal views and do not represent the views or official position of the City of Cudahy,” the statement read. “The City will not be providing further comment.”

The city is about 10 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and has about 22,000 residents.