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Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- Mexican TikTok influencer Cesar Gastelum, with 650,000 followers, was fatally shot during a livestream in Culiacan, Sinaloa, near the local prosecutor’s office, with attackers fleeing on a motorcycle.
- The killing occurred amid ongoing violent clashes between factions Los Mayos and Los Chapitos of the Sinaloa Cartel, which have caused widespread bloodshed in the region.
- Authorities are investigating Gastelum’s death, noting his social media content appeared to reference criminal groups, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for the perpetrators to be arrested.
- This incident follows a similar livestreamed killing in May 2025, when beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was murdered, leading the US Treasury to sanction leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, including prime suspect Ricardo Ruiz Velasco.
- The US has offered substantial rewards for information on cartel leaders, highlighting ongoing cross-border efforts to combat drug trafficking and related violence linked to Mexican cartels.
