Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, western Mexico
César Gastélum, a TikTok influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers, has been killed while livestreaming in Culiacán as two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire. The attack adds to years of cartel-driven bloodshed in the region. Authorities have launched investigations and security operations are under way.
The United States has announced a broad enforcement drive against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), charging five senior leaders and unveiling bounties. The actions follow the cartel’s alleged drug trafficking operations and a fraud scheme targeting elderly Americans, with a call to crack down on cartel influence in Mexico and beyond.
César Gastélum has been killed on a Tuesday night in Culiacán, Sinaloa, while livestreaming with friends. A motorcyclist pulled up and shot him at close range before fleeing. Authorities say some posts he published referenced a criminal group, and officials are investigating whether his online content or associations contributed to the targeting. The killing adds to a pattern of influencer murders linked to cartel violence in the region.
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