Commerce, CA- City Council Members Leonard Mendoza and Hugo Argumedo have tried hard to position themselves as ”anti-cannabis” politicians. They have even gone as far as literally speaking from the pulpit of a local church on the subject. However, the truth behind their masks of hypocrisy is now slowly revealing itself.

Confidential sources within the Commerce-Bandini Community are in an uproar over Mendoza’s attempt to portray himself as a self-proclaimed ”patron saint of good.” In addition to his two very public moments of losing consciousness due to alcohol abuse, Mendoza has also been concealing the truth of his drug selling family members within the community and region.

On the morning of May 1, 2018, multiple neighbors observed law enforcement vehicles converge upon a residence on the 2200 block of Couts Avenue. This raid happened while Bandini Elementary school was in session across the street. Neighbors identified the house as the home of Mendoza’s sister, Sylvia Mendoza. A review of the public access information website for Los Angeles County Jail shows an arrest for a ”Sylvia Mendoza,” age 44, and son ”Joel Paez,” age 24. Allegedly, search warrants were served to Mendoza’s family members for selling illegal bootleg prescription medications at local swap-meets.

Mr. Mendoza should reconsider his positioning as an ”agent of good” given the revelation of his family allegedly dealing drugs in the community he claims to be protecting.

Not one to be outdone by Mendoza, Council Member Hugo Argumedo’s name was abuzz on the City of Commerce Instagram account with allegations of cannabis and bribery. Public allegations against Argumedo, who has publicly positioned himself as being staunchly ”anti-cannabis”, is now being called out for allegedly taking a bribe from a cannabis operator identified as ”High Note.” The alleged bribe centers around the property located at 6971 Bandini Blvd.

The property is owned by Ismael Mayans, a real estate developer and long-time ally of Argumedo and former Council member Jesus Cervantes. Ismael Mayans is no stranger to dirty development transactions and shady property swaps dating back to the 1990s while Jesus Cervantes was in office. Argumedo may be able to mask his hypocrisy, but he cannot hide the reality of who he truly is – Argumedo was recalled in 1998 and forced to resign in 2010 after pleading guilty to signing a false statement in a civil lawsuit.