GANG ARMY Called to Wage War on Federal Agents

Border Patrol vest with gear and communication equipment.

A California mayoral candidate just summoned 55 street gangs to City Hall to wage war against federal immigration agents, turning what should be a routine local election into a constitutional crisis that demands immediate law enforcement attention.

Story Snapshot

Long Beach mayoral candidate Rogelio Martinez publicly called on leaders from all 55 gangs in the city to unite against ICE agents
Martinez specified ethnic gang affiliations including Latino, Cambodian, Filipino, Black, and Pacific Islander groups in his video appeal
The candidate urged gangs to meet him at City Hall to make Long Beach “ICE free” using “peaceful but strong force”
Social media erupted with accusations of treason and insurrection, with widespread calls for his immediate arrest
Federal authorities have not yet publicly responded to what critics characterize as recruitment of a criminal militia

When Politics Crosses Into Criminal Territory

Rogelio Martinez released a video statement on January 31, 2026, that shattered every norm of American political discourse. The self-described real estate professional and fringe mayoral candidate addressed gang leaders across Long Beach’s diverse criminal landscape with stunning directness. He named specific ethnic affiliations, set a concrete meeting time and place at City Hall for the following Monday, and framed federal immigration enforcement as kidnapping that required gang intervention. This wasn’t coded language or dog whistles. Martinez explicitly recruited criminal organizations as political allies, crossing a line that even the most radical anti-ICE activists typically avoid.

The audacity of summoning rival gang factions, groups that have historically engaged in territorial violence against each other, reveals either breathtaking naivety or something far more calculated. Long Beach’s 55 documented gangs represent deeply entrenched criminal enterprises with competing interests and blood feuds spanning decades. Martinez positioned himself as capable of unifying these disparate organizations under a single banner against federal law enforcement. Whether gang leaders view him as legitimate or laughable remains unclear, but the public invitation itself constitutes potential criminal solicitation regardless of its success rate.

The Sanctuary City Spiral Reaches New Extremes

Long Beach operates within California’s broader sanctuary framework, where tensions between state and federal immigration policy have created ongoing friction. Cities across the state have implemented policies limiting cooperation with ICE, sparking fierce national debates about federalism and public safety. Martinez’s approach represents a quantum leap beyond passive resistance or legal non-cooperation. He advocates active confrontation using criminal organizations as enforcers, transforming immigration policy disagreement into what critics accurately characterize as insurrection against federal authority.

The timing amplifies concerns about escalating lawlessness in jurisdictions that prioritize ideology over the rule of law. Martinez describes ICE operations as kidnappings of innocents, language designed to justify extraordinary countermeasures. This framing ignores the constitutional authority granted to federal immigration enforcement and the legal processes underlying deportations. When a political candidate frames law enforcement as criminal activity requiring gang intervention, he inverts the entire foundation of civil society. The fact that Martinez ran for mayor while simultaneously recruiting criminal militias raises urgent questions about vetting processes and the radicalization of local politics.

Constitutional Crisis or Political Theater

Social media exploded with bipartisan outrage, though mainstream outlets remained conspicuously silent. Conservative commentators labeled Martinez a traitor and demanded FBI investigation for inciting insurrection. The parallel to federal charges against those who participated in January 6th events seems obvious. If summoning citizens to the Capitol constitutes insurrection, summoning criminal gangs to City Hall against federal agents surely meets or exceeds that threshold. Yet as of early February, no arrests materialized, no federal statements emerged, and Martinez remained a declared candidate.

The double standard illuminates a disturbing reality about selective enforcement. Political figures who threaten conservative governance face swift prosecution, while radicals operating under progressive banners often receive inexplicable immunity. Martinez’s call represents textbook incitement, conspiracy to obstruct federal officers, and potentially seditious conspiracy. His explicit mention of using force, even qualified as peaceful, against federal agents conducting lawful operations should trigger immediate investigation. The silence from federal prosecutors who typically rush to charge political opponents suggests either incompetence or ideological protection that should alarm every American regardless of immigration policy preferences.

The Gangs Who Didn’t Show Up

Available reporting provides no confirmation that gang leaders responded to Martinez’s summons or that any Monday meeting materialized. This failure highlights the fantastical nature of his appeal. Street gangs operate on self-interest, territory, and profit, not political ideology about federal immigration enforcement. The notion that Latino, Cambodian, Filipino, Black, and Pacific Islander criminal organizations would set aside decades of conflict to follow a fringe mayoral candidate defies basic understanding of gang dynamics. Martinez apparently believes his anti-ICE message carries sufficient weight to overcome gang rivalries and risk exposure to law enforcement surveillance.

The lack of gang participation doesn’t diminish the severity of Martinez’s actions. Attempted crimes carry consequences, and soliciting criminal conspiracy remains prosecutable whether or not the conspiracy succeeds. His public video created a permanent record of intent to obstruct federal officers using criminal organizations. Even if every gang leader dismissed him as delusional, Martinez demonstrated willingness to weaponize criminal violence for political ends. That mindset disqualifies anyone from public office and demands accountability from a justice system that claims equal application of law.

WATCH: Long Beach Mayoral Candidate Rogelio Martinez Calls on the Gangs to ‘Take Back the City’

"Peacefully, but with strong force."🤡https://t.co/iLRhPSNSR8

— Michael Dorstewitz (@MikeDorstewitz) February 1, 2026

Americans watching this debacle unfold face a stark choice about the future of local governance. Either candidates who publicly recruit criminal gangs against federal law enforcement face consequences, or the rule of law becomes entirely optional for those espousing fashionable radical positions. Martinez’s candidacy, however fringe, represents the logical endpoint of sanctuary city ideology taken to its violent extreme. When politicians decide which laws deserve enforcement based on personal preference, they forfeit any moral authority to govern. The question now is whether federal authorities possess the courage to treat this case with the seriousness it demands, or whether selective prosecution based on political alignment has become permanent fixture of American justice.