Cesar Gastelum death may be tied to cartel posts, Mexico says

Mexican authorities said the shooting death of influencer Cesar Gastelum may have been retaliation for social media posts about a criminal group.

Gunmen on a motorcycle shot Gastelum late Tuesday during a livestream in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state. Mexico's Security Cabinet said on X that lines of investigation included “numerous publications, some of which refer to a criminal group”, without giving further details.

Gastelum had more than 500,000 TikTok followers. He was dressed as a food distributor with two friends as part of a social media challenge when a motorcycle stopped beside him and one of two men riding on it shot him in the head. The livestream was later removed by content moderators, and the attack was also recorded on security cameras.

Local police confirmed Gastelum's death. Police initially reported the death of a delivery worker before later identifying him as Gastelum.

Sinaloa state has been a battleground for rival drug factions. A conflict between the two main factions of the Sinaloa Cartel and associated armed groups has left thousands dead or missing in the northwestern state.

Mexican media have reported that social media influencers in Culiacan are often tied to disputing criminal gangs, leading to intimidation or score-settling.