You probably know Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from all the political news coverage. Everyone calls her AOC. She’s the congresswoman who’s always in the political headlines.
Recently, her family was drawn into some false rumors that circulated online. A false story began circulating about her brother being arrested.
None of it was true, but many people still shared it online anyway. Here’s the real story about her brother and family.
AOC Brother Arrested For Fentanyl?
A made-up story claimed that Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez got caught with $1.2 million worth of fentanyl. The fake article couldn’t even get his name right. It said “Matthew Ocasio-Cortez” instead. That person doesn’t even exist.
Gabriel watched this junk spread across social media and decided he had to speak up. He made a TikTok video on April 22, setting things straight. He explained his actual name and stated that he works with homeless people and has no connection to the story.
None of this story was real. Someone made it all up as a joke on a comedy website. However, people on social media then started sharing it as if it had happened.
Gabriel made another video later. He discussed how frightening it can be when false stories spread like this. He warned that fake stories like this push people toward extreme thinking and can radicalize them.
Who Is Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez?
Gabriel works as a creative consultant, helping those in his community who are homeless. He’s also built a solid career in real estate. He spent four years as a residential consultant at Grand Lux Realty and worked in client services at D. Baum & Co.
As per his LinkedIn page, Gabriel also held the position of Director at Large with the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS. He’s also a licensed real estate salesperson working at Stetson Real Estate.
He attended Long Island University and earned his degree in Art Psychotherapy. This field mixes art and creativity with helping people work through their mental health problems.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Family and Roots
AOC comes from parents who sacrificed everything for their family’s future. Her dad, Sergio Ocasio-Roman, grew up in the Bronx with Puerto Rican roots.
He spent years climbing his way up in the architecture world. Eventually, he got brave enough to launch his own company.
Meanwhile, growing up in Puerto Rico wasn’t easy for Blanca. Money was always tight in her house. She found herself taking care of her little brothers and sisters while still being a kid herself.
Her mom bounced between different jobs, doing whatever she could to keep the family going.
Blanca and Sergio crossed paths, and something clicked between them. They both wanted the same thing – a fresh start somewhere new. America seemed like the perfect place to make that happen.
Blanca met Sergio, and they decided to build their life together on the mainland. AOC often mentions how her parents essentially started over from scratch – learning English, adapting to a new culture, and building careers from the ground up.
Their world crumbled in 2008 when Sergio died from lung cancer. Blanca found herself supporting Gabriel and Alexandria alone. Alexandria took on waitressing shifts to contribute whatever she could during those challenging months.
Alexandria’s political dreams got Blanca’s full support. She campaigned alongside her daughter, knocking on doors and convincing neighbors to give Alexandria a chance.
The congressional swearing-in ceremony meant everything to their family.
Blanca stood beside Alexandria, holding the Bible during the oath. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recognized Blanca publicly, acknowledging the significant contributions she’d made to Alexandria’s success.
