Tag

Cartels

All articles tagged with #cartels

world18 days ago•25 min saved

Those Guys Scare Me: Mexican Influencer Cesar Gastélum Killed Live on Stream

Mexican influencer Cesar Gastélum, 24, was fatally shot during a live-streamed stunt outside a KFC in Culiacán after signaling fear about a nearby motorcycle. Investigators are probing cartel links amid Sinaloa cartel violence; Gastélum had described himself as “belico” (warlike) and had over 650,000 TikTok followers. The suspected attackers fled on a motorcycle, and President Claudia Sheinbaum's government pledged to arrest the perpetrators and uncover the motive, with officials considering cartel violence as a possible cause.

via New York Post|

#cartels #cesar-gastelum #live-stream

world19 days ago•4 min saved

Live-streamed murder in Sinaloa sparks questions about influencers and cartels

César Gastélum, a Mexican influencer, was shot dead during a livestream in Culiacán, Sinaloa, prompting scrutiny over possible links between content creators and cartels; authorities noted some posts referenced criminal groups, though Gastélum had no reported threats, and past cases show influencers being targeted amid cartel power struggles. Experts say narco-culture and wealth-driven content can attract narco attention, and cartels have reportedly used creators to promote their brand. Officials vow to pursue both those who carried out the killing and those who ordered it, as authorities continue efforts to sever ties between pop culture and crime; the incident underscores the ongoing violence and cartel influence in digital spaces.

via BBC|

#cartels #influencers #livestream

world20 days ago•3 min saved

TikTok Star César Gastélum Shot During Livestream in Culiacán, Sparks Federal Probe

Mexican TikTok influencer César Gastélum, who had more than 600,000 followers, was shot dead Tuesday while livestreaming in front of a fast-food restaurant in Culiacán after two helmeted riders on a motorcycle approached; authorities say a major security operation is underway and are examining whether the attack is linked to social media posts mentioning a cartel faction. The incident occurs amid ongoing cartel violence in Sinaloa between Los Mayos and Los Chapitos, with President Sheinbaum promising to identify and arrest those responsible.

via ABC7 Los Angeles|

#cartels #culiacan #gastelum

politics22 days ago•1 min saved

Texas THC crackdown could boost cartel-backed black market, warns lawmaker

Democratic state Rep. James Talarico warned that Texas’s enforcement of the ban on most synthetically derived hemp THC products, including delta-8, could push consumers to the black market and benefit drug cartels. The move follows a Texas Supreme Court ruling; possession of banned THC products can be charged as a state jail felony, and Paxton’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

via USA Today|

#black-market #cartels #delta-8

world-news22 days ago•24 min saved

CJNG Cartel Leader Arrested Over Live-Streamed Influencer Murder

Mexican authorities arrested Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, a senior figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel nicknamed 'R1', after prosecutors say he ordered the murder of beauty influencer Valeria Marquez during a live-stream at her Jalisco salon following her breakup with his son. The 23-year-old influencer was killed as she broadcast to followers, in what investigators describe as a femicide arranged by Álvarez Ayala at the behest of his son Francisco Álvarez. Álvarez Ayala faces charges including methamphetamine possession for trafficking, firearms, and ammunition offenses. The case ties into broader cartel violence in western Mexico, including the 2025 killing of Mayor Carlos Manzo, and comes amid a broader crackdown that has yielded numerous arrests in related investigations.

via New York Post|

#arrest #cartels #live-stream-murder

world1 month ago•43 min saved

Mexican Mayor Slain Inside Town Hall After Surviving Earlier Attack

A Mexican mayor, Valentin Lavin of Temoac in Morelos, who had survived an armed attack earlier this year, was shot dead inside the town hall as authorities pursued the suspects. The killing highlights ongoing cartel-linked violence against local officials in Mexico, where nearly 100 mayors have been murdered since 2006 and at least 14 have been killed since late 2024.

via Yahoo|

#assassination #cartels #mayor

world2 months ago•16 min saved

Guadalajara bolsters security for World Cup amid cartel violence scare

Guadalajara deploys the National Guard around the stadium hosting FIFA World Cup matches to reassure fans and pledge a safe tournament after fears of cartel violence.

via AP News|

#cartels #mexico #security

world3 months ago•13 min saved

CIA Expands Covert Cartel Campaign Inside Mexico

CNN reports that the CIA has broadened its covert, and at times lethal, operations inside Mexico to dismantle cartel networks, including direct involvement in a high-profile assassination and ongoing real-time intelligence support with Mexican authorities, raising sovereignty concerns and fears of potential spillover of violence into the United States.

via CNN|

#cartels #cia #covert-operations

world3 months ago•8 min saved

Indictment Sparks a Mexican Crossroads on Cartel Corruption

U.S. prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and multiple officials of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel, taking bribes and votes for impunity. Rocha denies the charges, while President Sheinbaum has shown restraint, delaying arrest requests and framing the case as a matter for Mexico’s attorney general. The affair deepens a partisan split in Mexico, tests bilateral ties with Washington, and raises questions about whether the government will aggressively pursue corruption or shield officials, even as cartel violence continues in Sinaloa.

via The New York Times|

#cartels #corruption #mexico

world-and-nation3 months ago•6 min saved

Mexico Resists U.S. Extradition Demands in Drug-Charges Indictment

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected the U.S. indictment of a sitting Sinaloa governor and other Morena officials on drug-trafficking charges, saying Mexico will not arrest or extradite anyone and accusing Washington of meddling; the stance could strain U.S.–Mexico relations and recalls the 2021 Salvador Cienfuegos affair.

via Los Angeles Times|

#cartels #extradition #sheinbaum

world4 months ago•1 min saved

Mexico says CIA agents killed in Chihuahua were not authorized to operate in the country

Mexico says two CIA agents killed in a car crash in Chihuahua were not authorized to participate in operations on Mexican soil; one entered as a visitor and the other with a diplomatic passport, and the government is reviewing the case with local authorities and the U.S. Embassy amid conflicting accounts about foreign involvement.

via PBS|

#cartels #chihuahua #cia

world-and-nation4 months ago•8 min saved

CIA presence at Mexican drug raid sparks sovereignty tensions

Four CIA agents joined a Chihuahua drug-lab raid, disguised as local officials; two CIA officers died in a vehicle crash returning from the operation. The incident, reportedly the third time CIA personnel accompanied Mexican authorities this year, has Mexico demanding explanations and potential sanctions, highlighting constitutional prohibitions on foreign agents in law enforcement and straining U.S.-Mexico cooperation in the fight against cartels.

via Los Angeles Times|

#cartels #chihuahua #cia

world4 months ago•3 min saved

CIA-Linked U.S. Officials Killed in Mexican Narco-Lab Raid, AP Reports

Two U.S. officials died in a crash while returning from a Chihuahua raid that destroyed a clandestine drug lab; they were CIA employees, per U.S. officials and sources, highlighting heightened and opaque U.S. involvement in Mexico’s security operations and prompting questions about sovereignty and coordination with Mexican authorities.

via PBS|

#cartels #cia #mexico

world-news4 months ago•75 min saved

Families comb cartel lands for missing loved ones in Mexico

Civilian groups and relatives in Mexico scour remote, cartel-controlled areas searching for missing loved ones, often facing danger and limited government support, in a bid to uncover answers, recover remains, and gain closure amid ongoing violence and impunity.

via AP News|

#cartels #civil-society #families

politics5 months ago•4 min saved

Ex-DEA Chief urges offensive crackdown on cartels as Trump backs missiles

Former Acting DEA Administrator Derek Maltz calls for an aggressive, offensive approach against drug cartels, arguing the U.S. must go after narco-traffickers with lethal force as President Trump endorses missile strikes and a 13-nation Latin American coalition coordinates new strategies to defeat cartel networks and narco-terrorists.

via Fox News|

#cartels #drug-trafficking #latin-america-coalition