Mexican social media influencer Cesar Gastelum was shot and killed on Aug. 4 while livestreaming with friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the capital of Sinaloa state.
Gastelum, who frequently posted comedy videos on TikTok, where he had more than 600,000 followers, was fatally shot in Culiacán by a gunman on a motorcycle.
In a recording of the livestream, Gastelum was standing on the street with two friends when two men on a motorcycle pulled up alongside them. Without a word, the rider then pulled out a gun and shot him.
Cartel hitmen, or “sicarios,” in Mexico often use motorcycles to approach victims and escape quickly.
A security official in Sinaloa state confirmed Gastelum had died and said a security operation was underway in an effort to identify the killers.
Internecine Feud in Sinaloa Cartel
Culiacán has been at the center of an internecine conflict within the Sinaloa cartel, in which two rival factions are vying for control.
Since the fall of 2024, the Sinaloa cartel has been split between La Chapitos, who support the sons of one of the cartel’s leaders, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, and La Mayiza, who are loyal to the cartel’s co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
In 2019, Guzman was jailed for life by a federal court in New York. In July 2024, Zambada was detained along with one of Guzman’s sons after their plane landed near the Texas–New Mexico border.
On July 20, Zambada was jailed for life by a federal court in New York.
In September 2025, the United States offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest of Juan José Ponce Félix, 43, the alleged leader of Los Rusos (The Russians), who are the primary armed wing of La Mayiza.
Two other influencers have been killed in Sinaloa in the last two years, with both believed to be linked to the cartel feud. In October 2024, Juan Carlos Lopez, better known as El Chilango, was shot dead, and two months later, Leboardo Aispuro, a YouTuber known as El Gordo Peruci, was killed.
In one of his Instagram posts from last year, Gastelum was pictured at the gravesite of Aispuro.
“I know you’ll be proud of me from up above, and I’m going to achieve everything I told you about,” Gastelum wrote. “You’ll be up there giving me a hard time and telling me not to let up. See you soon, friend.”
The Mercurio newspaper in Sinaloa reported that Aispuro had alleged links to the Los Chapitos faction.
Gastelum’s murder is the second killing of a Mexican influencer during a livestream in just over a year.
Mexican social media influencer Valeria Marquez, 23, who was fatally shot during a TikTok livestream in the beauty salon where she worked in the city of Zapopan, in this picture obtained from social media. @v___marquez/via Instagram/via Reuters
In May 2025, beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was fatally shot during a TikTok livestream at her salon in Zapopan, in Jalisco state.
Marquez, 23, was killed by a man who entered the salon and opened fire. Seconds before the shooting, Marquez was seen sitting at a table, holding a stuffed toy. She was heard saying, “They’re coming.”
Arrest in 2025 Influencer Murder Investigation
Last month Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, known as “El R-1,” was arrested by police in Mexico.
Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said Alvarez Ayala was the leader of a cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful organized crime groups in the country.
Alvarez Ayala is accused of involvement in the killing of Marquez and is alleged to have ordered and financed the murder of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, in Michoacán state in November 2025. Manzo was an outspoken critic of the cartels.
There have been several other attacks on livestreaming influencers around the world.
In March 2025, Japanese YouTuber Ari Sato was stabbed to death in Tokyo, and there have been other incidents in Sweden, Jamaica, and the United States.
Louis Rossmann, an electronics technician and YouTuber with 2.2 million followers from Austin, Texas, told The Epoch Times in May 2025 that attacks on livestreamers were not unique to one country or demographic.
“The moment your platform reaches a certain size or your content challenges powerful entities, like I have been doing for a decade now, you open yourself up to risks,” Rossmann said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
