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Local authorities in Sinaloa confirmed that César Gastélum died after two helmeted men on a motorcycle approached him and his friends outside a fast food restaurant in the Tres Ríos area of Culiacán and one fired at close range. A Sinaloa state security official told reporters that a large-scale operation was under way in the neighbourhood, which lies near the state prosecutor’s office. The companions filming alongside Gastélum had worn bright orange coats and carried delivery-style bags, prompting initial confusion among responders who first believed a delivery driver had been targeted.
Gastélum maintained an Instagram presence that featured images from his travels, nights out and moments posing with luxury cars, according to accounts reviewed by Reuters. The influencer had also posted a picture at the grave of Leobardo Aispuro, known online as El Gordo Peruci, another content creator killed in December 2024 in circumstances tied to local rivalries. No information has surfaced on whether Gastélum had received prior threats before Tuesday’s attack.
Violence across Sinaloa has intensified since a split between the Los Chapitos and La Mayiza factions of the Sinaloa Cartel erupted in September 2024, an assessment by the International Crisis Group found. The turf war has triggered retaliatory killings, forced disappearances and population displacements throughout the state, El País reported in its coverage of federal responses. A compilation of official figures cited by Latin Times placed the conflict’s toll at more than 3,200 homicides since the feud began.
The death forms part of a persistent pattern of violence directed at journalists, media workers and online content creators in Mexico. Reporters Without Borders recorded nine journalist killings in the country during 2025, the second-highest national total globally after Palestine. Article 19, which monitors press freedom, has documented a 163 percent rise in attacks against media professionals over the past six years, with near-total impunity persisting in most cases.
A comparable livestream killing occurred in May 2025 when 23-year-old beauty influencer Valeria Márquez was shot dead at her salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, while broadcasting on TikTok, CNN reported at the time. Jalisco prosecutors treated that case as a suspected femicide and reviewed footage in which Márquez appeared to sense danger moments before the gunman entered, according to state attorney general statements. Days earlier another woman, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz, had also been slain during a live broadcast along with three others.
Police cordoned the Culiacán scene and collected cartridge casings while examining nearby CCTV footage, local media accounts stated. The Sinaloa prosecutor’s office has yet to announce any arrests or disclose a confirmed motive for Gastélum’s killing. Investigations continue into possible connections to the ongoing organised-crime conflicts roiling the region.
