Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum shot to death during livestream

MEXICO CITY, Aug 4 - Mexican social media influencer Cesar Gastelum was shot and killed on Tuesday while livestreaming with friends outside a fast food restaurant in the northwestern city of Culiacan, local authorities said.

Gastelum, who had nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and was known for comedy videos, was streaming live outside a fast food restaurant when two people on a motorcycle, both wearing helmets, approached him and his friends. In a recording of the livestream, seen by Reuters, the driver of the motorcycle appeared to fire a gun directly at Gastelum.

A security official in Sinaloa state confirmed Gastelum's death and said a significant security operation was underway.

The killing comes amid persistent violence in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, which has been at the center of a conflict between rival organized crime factions competing for control.

The shooting also recalled the May 2025 killing of Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was shot to death during a TikTok livestream at the salon where she worked in Zapopan, in the western state of Jalisco. Marquez, 23, was killed after a man entered the salon and opened fire, according to prosecutors. Her death was investigated under femicide protocols.

In July, Mexican authorities announced the arrest in Jalisco of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, known as "El R-1," whom Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch identified as the leader of a criminal cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Authorities have linked Alvarez Ayala to the killing of Marquez and accused him of ordering and financing the November 2025 murder of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo. REUTERS