Why was César Gastélum murdered? Authorities reveal the main hypothesis of the influencer's crime

Initial investigations into the motive for the homicide of César Gastelum, a Mexican influencer, point to posts made by the victim about a criminal group, authorities reported on Wednesday.

César Gastelum was shot to death Tuesday night during a live stream in Culiacán, the capital of the state of Sinaloa, which is mired in a bloody war between factions of the cartel founded by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

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Gastelum, who had more than 500,000 followers on TikTok, was with two friends, dressed as food delivery workers as part of a social media challenge being broadcast live. A motorcycle suddenly stopped next to him, and one of the two occupants shot him in the head.

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The crime was captured on the live stream—which was later removed by the platform—and on security cameras.

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"Among the lines of investigation are various posts, in some of which he alluded to a faction of a criminal group," the Security Cabinet, which brings together the agencies responsible for this matter, wrote on X.

It did not specify which criminal organization, but since 2024, two cells of the Sinaloa Cartel have been clashing in a war that has left more than 2,000 dead: one led by the sons of "El Chapo" and the other by the followers of co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada following his capture in the United States.

Local influencers are usually linked to warring criminal factions, according to the Mexican press, which explains these deaths as acts of revenge or intimidation.

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The influencer Valeria Márquez, who shared beauty content, was murdered, for example, in May 2025 in Jalisco, also while conducting a live stream. Authorities linked the homicide to her ex-partner, the son of a leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

In May 2017, another influencer known as "El Pirata de Culiacán" was shot to death. The crime occurred after he made a video in which he mentioned Nemesio Oseguera "El Mencho," leader of the CJNG, who died in February in a confrontation with the army.