Live-streamed killing of Mexican narco influencer sparks online shock

A brief livestream shows three young men in bright orange gear, one laughing under a cowboy hat, when a motorcycle pulls up and a gunman fires at the hat-wearer, killing him instantly. The video, viewed by hundreds of thousands online, was shared on X, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, Meta and YouTube. Mexican officials connect the killing of 25-year-old influencer César Gastelum to his online promotion of a Sinaloa Cartel faction that formed after the cartel’s internal war began.

The suspect group, Los Chapitos, is believed to have targeted him amid a power struggle with supporters of El Mayo Zambada. While the exact role Gastelum played remains unclear, investigators are probing possible involvement in laundering cartel profits. The incident follows a pattern of several content creators being murdered in the region, with some victims previously displaying weapons and luxury items on social media.