Influencer killings mount in Mexico as rival cartel factions wage a bloody fight

Mexican influencer César Gastélum was live-streaming outside a fast-food restaurant in Culiacán when two men on motorbikes stopped and shot him, killing him instantly. His brutal murder, caught on camera by thousands of viewers, has raised alarm about a disturbing trend of influencer killings in Mexico. Experts suspect connections between these content creators and criminal organizations, as well as the ongoing power struggles between different factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Gastélum's last posts show thousands of comments expressing sorrow and disbelief. A similar case occurred last year when beauty influencer Valeria Márquez was also killed while streaming on social media in Zapopan, Jalisco. Federal authorities are investigating whether these influencer deaths are linked to cartel activities. While there is no official count of influencer killings in Mexico, local media estimate around 20 cases over the past two years, with most happening in Sinaloa, a state experiencing increased violence after the transfer of one of its co-founders, Ismael "el Mayo" Zambada, to the United States for sentencing.