From Social Platforms to Live Killings, Mexican Cartels Are Turning Influencers into Targets

Popular TikTok and Instagram figures in Mexico are becoming increasingly embroiled in the conflict between drug cartels, with some even being killed in front of the cameras.

Experts say social media has become a new battleground for clashes, propaganda and the struggle for influence between criminal organizations.

The latest case involves 24-year-old César Gastélum, who was killed in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state, while livestreaming with friends outside a restaurant.

According to information about the incident, two people on a motorcycle approached the group, and one of them opened fire on the influencer. The attack lasted only a few seconds, while the camera continued recording everything.

Gastélum’s killing is not an isolated case. In recent years, other content creators have also been killed in Mexico under similar circumstances, raising suspicions that the war between rival factions is extending into the influencer community as well.

Another incident that caused widespread shock was the killing of 23-year-old Valeria Márquez, a Mexican influencer known for her beauty-related content.

Márquez was shot dead in 2025 during a livestream from her beauty salon. The broadcast continued after the attack, making the case one of the most shocking episodes of violence against social media figures in Mexico.

According to experts, influencers have become part of a new propaganda battle between criminal groups.

Some of them have shared material containing symbols, music or lifestyles associated with particular factions. For cartels, such posts may be perceived as expressions of support for a rival group.

David Mora, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, has said that the elimination of influencers is linked to cartel efforts to dictate the public narrative and spread fear.

He stressed that social platforms now constitute a new space in which criminal organizations seek influence and a form of legitimacy.

Data shows that the number of influencers killed in Mexico has increased in recent years.

A considerable proportion of these incidents have been recorded in Sinaloa, an area hit hard by clashes between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Following the arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of the cartel’s leading figures, intense battles for control of territory and criminal influence began in the region.

In this violent atmosphere, several public figures on the internet have been drawn into the conflict because of suspected ties, the material they have published or the belief that they support one of the camps.

Mexican authorities are investigating whether cartel orders were behind the killings and whether they may have been used to strike at rivals or send warnings.

For experts, these executions show that criminal groups are using violence in a new way: not only to eliminate rivals, but also to influence public perception and opinion.