Livestreamer's murder raises questions over relations between Mexico's creators and cartels - BBC News

The murder of content creator César Gastélum on Tuesday raises questions about why influencers are coming under attack.

Image source, César Gastélum/YouTubeByDaniel PardoMexico correspondent, BBC News MundoPublished6 August 2026The killing of a young influencer, caught on camera as he was livestreaming in Mexico's Sinaloa state, has raised questions about possible links between content creators and criminal cartels in this violence-wracked part of the country.

On the stream, two men on a motorbike can be seen riding up to César Gastélum, who is chatting to two friends outside a fast food restaurant in the city of Culiacán.

The murder happens within seconds: the driver of the bike shoots him in the head at close range before fleeing.

While the Sinaloa state prosecutor's office provided little detail about the incident, it did say that its lines of investigations included a number of posts Gastélum had published, "some of which refer to a criminal group".

Gastélum is not the first influencer to be murdered in Sinaloa.