Mexico's massacre of the influencers: Why cartels are murdering social media stars

Mexican cartels are increasingly executing influencers and social media stars as the online celebrities are dragged into gang wars.

Many of the country's influencers looking to cash in on the various gang's popularity have taken to promoting and praising individual cartels.

But in doing so, they risk painting a target on their heads - with several now paying the ultimate price.

Many are slaughtered publicly in particularly brutal ways, as if to send a macabre message to their followers and other influencers. 

Experts said that influencers in the country, particularly the regions of Sinaloa, Jalisco and Mexico City – where cartel activity is high – are increasingly becoming targets of murder. At least nine have been killed in Sinaloa since 2024.

Last week, Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum was shot dead while livestreaming on social media outside a fast food restaurant in Sinaloa.

Mr Gastelum, who had more than 600,000 followers on TikTok and was famous for his comedy stunts, was broadcasting with two friends – all dressed as food delivery workers as part of a challenge.

Two masked men pulled up on a motorcycle as the trio messed around. One of the assassins pulled out a pistol and clinically shot Mr Gastelum in the head.

The influencer was killed in an instant.

Last May, 23-year-old influencer Valeria Marquez was shot and killed while livestreaming from her beauty salon on TikTok. 

A masked man shot her in the head and chest, and footage of the horrific killing, which happened in the Jalisco city of Zapopan, was broadcast to her followers. 

Federal prosecutors later accused Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, AKA 'R1', of ordering the hit on the young woman at the request of his son Francisco. 

Valeria had previously been in a relationship with Francisco, who is said to have threatened her on several occasions. 

Others include Kevin Kaletry, who was shot in the head while filming at a hotel in Mexico City, and José Carlos González Herrera, killed while livestreaming in a market. 

Criminal gangs use popular figures like Mr Gastelum and Valeria to launder money and promote their interests, such as spreading propaganda or luring potential recruits. 

In exchange, the influencers gain notoriety, attention and followers for providing insight into the often-shrouded drug trade that has long fascinated people around the world. 

First contacts are normally made by musicians, nightclub owners, promoters or even mutual friends under the thumbs of cartels. 

In some cases, criminal gangs might simply offer money or protection in exchange for favourable content. 

Chris Dalby, a senior analyst for think-tank Dyami Security Intelligence, told The Telegraph: 'They can be front businesses, lending their names such as beauty salons, clothing brands, restaurants, music labels or event companies.

'They can inflate sponsorships, appearance fees, or promotion earnings to disguise cartel injections.

'The more common one is using legitimate income streams, such as music streaming royalties, YouTube advertising, influencer marketing or licensing deals, to obscure criminal proceeds moving through.'

But the problem and risk for influencers lies in their relationship with cartels. By working with one group, they risk aggravating another and painting a target on their back. 

Mr Dalby said: 'That puts a target on someone's back if you are representing the wrong cartel, and you're very popular, and someone takes offence there.'

Many, like Camilo Ochoa and Markitos Toys, are open about their relationships with cartels. 

Mr Ochoa, a Sinaloa Cartel boss-turned-YouTuber, was killed in 2025. Toys, meanwhile, proudly shows off his relationship with El Chapo's sons. 

Toys' brother Gail Castro, a 32-year-old YouTuber, meanwhile was shot more than 15 times in the stomach and chest outside an upscale hotel in Baja California. 

He had been accused of laundering money for a Sinaloa faction. 

Others connected to Mr Castro have also been killed or threatened. 

The final moments of 22-year-old Agustin Paul, known online as 'El Pinky', were captured and shared on social media. 

A person behind the camera was heard asking Mr Paul, who had been battered: 'Why are you here?' 

Mr Paul, who had one black eye swollen shut, said: 'For passing information to MF [the son of El Mayo]...the location he could find Los Chapos.'

His body was later found in Culiacán, with his hands and feet bound with rope. 

It is a move straight from the cartels' playbook for dealing with journalists and others who document the activities of criminal gangs. 

In the last two decades, nearly 200 reporters have been killed in Mexico for their work, while dozens of musicians who play narcocorridos – a controversial genre that details the exploits of drug lords – have been murdered.  

Key to the influencer-cartel relationship is the fact that many social media stars in Mexico grew up in cartel-dominated communities, and will have long been thrilled by the image of the expensive cars, wild parties and beautiful women associated with cartels. 

On top of this, pop culture in Mexico has long glorified cartel culture, whether through music, fashion, films or TV. 

In Mr Gastelum's case, the livestream that detailed his killing was halted and later removed by TikTok, though footage and images of the attack have continued to circulate.

Local police initially reported the death of a delivery worker, likely due to their brightly coloured jackets and delivery-style backpacks, but later identified the victim as Mr Gastelum, who was reportedly 25 years old.

The attack took place in a busy shopping plaza near the Sinaloa prosecutor's office in Culiacan, the state capital. 

Soldiers and police were deployed while forensic experts collected evidence and removed the body, according to footage from local TV stations.

In recent Instagram posts, Mr Gastelum was pictured in front of Leobardo Aispuro's grave, an influencer known as 'El Gordo Peruci' who was shot dead in 2024 in what police believe may be a murder linked to a rivalry between two warring factions in Sinaloa.

In a video before his death, Mr Gastelum made reference to spending time with Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada – co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel – while other videos showed him wearing signs relating to the gang leader. 

The Sinaloa Cartel has been fractured since Mr Zambada was captured and extradited to the US in 2024. 

The Mayiza, which revered him as a leader, has been wrestling for control with the Los Chapitos faction in a violent struggle.

Though Mexico has seen an overall decrease of reported homicides across the country, narcoviolence is on the rise, particularly in Sinaloa. 

Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, has come under fire, particularly from Washington, for allegedly not doing enough to control violence. 

She said on July 29 that she had discussed Mr Gastelum’s death with her cabinet and pledged to find those responsible. 

Ms Sheinbaum said: 'The perpetrators, and the mastermind, must be detained, and the reason for this tragic homicide must be uncovered.'