Cesar Gastelum pictured shortly before his killing livestreaming alongside another young manMEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — The drive-by shooting death of a Mexican influencer may have been in retaliation for social media posts about a criminal group, authorities said Wednesday. Gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead Cesar Gastelum late Tuesday during a livestreamed broadcast in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, which has been a battleground for warring drug factions. Gastelum was dressed as a food distributor alongside two friends as part of a social media challenge to his over 500,000 TikTok followers. Culiacan is ground zero for “narco-culture” celebrating the life of drug traffickers, and Mexican media report that social media influencers are often tied to disputing criminal gangs, leading to acts of intimidation or score-settling. The beauty and fashion influencer Valeria Marquez was murdered during a livestream in May 2025 in the western state of Jalisco.