A Mayor’s Dangerous Rhetoric
Mayor Zohran Mamdani just made a massive mistake by calling a violent criminal a “New Yorker” after he was shot by federal agents. The man in question, Oscar Belgal, is an alleged gang member with a rap sheet that includes armed robbery and drug dealing. Instead of focusing on public safety, the Mayor chose to rally behind a man who allegedly tried to run over ICE agents with his car. This isn’t just a semantic error; it shows a complete disconnect from the reality on the streets of the Bronx.
The Facts on Belgal’s Crimes
According to reporting from the New York Post, Belgal entered the US illegally around 2022 and quickly began a cycle of violent crime. Court records show he robbed a victim at gunpoint in Fordham Heights and was allegedly selling dangerous drugs shortly after a 2025 conviction. Federal officials state that Belgal was connected to the Trinitarios, a violent street gang known for wreaking havoc across the city. An off-duty CBP officer was shot in July 2025, a crime DHS officials connected to the same gang. Despite this history, Mayor Mamdani referred to Belgal as “a New Yorker” in a speech Thursday condemning the shooting.
Locals in the Bronx are furious about this characterization. Migdalia Martinez, whose 12-year-old son was killed in gangland crossfire in July, told The Post, “I don’t consider him a New Yorker.” She went on to say, “The only thing I do consider him as is trash, nothing else but trash. And I don’t consider New York, my home, as trash.” When asked directly about the Mayor’s statement, Martinez said, “The mayor is wrong in many ways, that’s definitely one.”
Priorities Are Backward
The RapForMayor team believes the Mayor’s defense of Belgal exposes a broken priority list. While thousands of protesters marched through Manhattan demanding the abolition of ICE, the real danger was the man they were defending. Belgal allegedly told agents to “give me your jewelry or I will shoot you” before the shooting occurred. To call this man a neighbor is to insult the victims of his alleged crimes and the families living in fear.
Protesters chanted slogans like “Abolish ICE” and “Stop the deportations,” but they ignored the fact that Belgal was wanted for violent offenses. One demonstrator claimed agents are “ripping people from their families,” yet Belgal was allegedly connected to a blood-thirsty gang that targets innocent people. As Martinez noted, “Sanctuary politicians create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for American citizens to be safe.” The Mayor’s focus on ICE rather than the criminal’s actions proves that he values political posturing over the safety of his constituents.
Gov. Kathy Hochul joined the Mayor in calling New Yorkers “outraged,” but it seems the outrage should be directed at the policies that let criminals like Belgal roam free. When you have sanctuary cities and politicians, you endanger the safety of the public. The Mayor’s attempt to frame this as an attack on a “neighbor” ignores the fact that Belgal allegedly weaponized his car against federal officers. This is not about immigration; it is about holding violent criminals accountable.
The situation remains tense as federal officials continue to investigate Belgal’s alleged ties to the Trinitarios gang. There is no scheduled vote or hearing announced for this week regarding the shooting itself, but the political fallout is already reshaping the conversation in City Hall. New Yorkers must watch closely to see if these officials will pivot back to safety or double down on their defense of criminal behavior.
This is opinion and commentary from the RapForMayor team.
