The fatal shooting of Mexican influencer César Gastélum during a livestream has intensified concerns about the relationship between social media personalities and organised crime in Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s most violence-affected states. Gastélum was chatting with friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Culiacán when two men on a motorcycle approached him.
The passenger shot him at close range before the attackers fled. The killing was captured live during his broadcast. Authorities in Sinaloa have launched an investigation. Prosecutors said they are examining several of Gastélum’s social media posts, including some that appeared to reference a criminal group.
However, officials stressed that Gastélum had not reported receiving threats and was not under police investigation for alleged criminal connections.Gastélum is the latest in a growing number of content creators killed in Sinaloa. At least 10 influencers have been murdered since violent fighting erupted two years ago between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. Experts say the overlap between social media culture and organised crime has become increasingly visible in the region.
According to communications specialist Claudia Arruñada of the Iberoamerican University, both social media algorithms and criminal groups often promote images of luxury, wealth and rapid success, making it difficult to distinguish between online influence and criminal propaganda. Gastélum’s social media featured luxury cars, nightlife, expensive trips and entertainment content. He had also shared a photograph taken at the grave of murdered influencer Leobardo Aispuro, known online as “El Gordo Peruci,” who was killed in 2024.
Many content creators reject being labelled “narco-influencers,” arguing that displaying a wealthy lifestyle in Culiacán can attract suspicion regardless of whether they have any criminal ties.Security analysts note that criminal organisations sometimes use influencers to promote their image or shape public perception. As rival cartels compete for influence, people believed to support one faction whether intentionally or not can become targets of the other.
This concern intensified in January 2025 when pamphlets were reportedly dropped from an aircraft over Culiacán, accusing 25 influencers and musicians of links to the La Mayiza faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. Four of those named had already been killed, and two more have died since.Although Gastélum’s name did not appear on that list, his death has reinforced fears that online personalities are increasingly vulnerable amid the ongoing cartel conflict.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged that both those responsible for the killing and those who ordered it will be pursued. Her administration has also sought to weaken the influence of organised crime on popular culture by criticising narcocorridos—songs that glorify criminal groups—while continuing broader efforts to combat cartel violence.
