Social media influencer César Gastélum was killed by a gunman during a livestream in Mexico's Sinaloa state.
Mexican authorities reported that social media influencer César Gastélum was killed by a gunman during a livestream in the state of Sinaloa. The incident occurred in the capital city of Culiacan during rush hour, where Gastélum was filmed laughing with two men in a parking lot before being shot by a motorcycle-bound attacker. Officials indicated that the killing is linked to cartel violence, as Gastélum frequently released content that alluded to criminal factions. The death of the influencer, who had over 650,000 TikTok followers, highlights the ongoing trend of organized crime groups targeting content creators to disseminate criminal messages. President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the perpetrators must be arrested and called for an investigation into the homicide. The killing comes as the Mexican government faces pressure from the administration to crack down on cartel violence. Security analyst David Saucedo noted that cartels often target influencers to control regions and turn them into channels for criminal messaging.