A 23-year-old Mexican influencer’s chilling premonition came true when she was executed on camera during her beauty salon livestream, becoming the latest victim in Mexico’s ongoing femicide epidemic.
At a Glance
- Valeria Márquez, a TikTok influencer with nearly 200,000 followers, was shot dead during a livestream at her Jalisco beauty salon
- Minutes before her murder, Márquez expressed fear for her life on camera, saying “Maybe they were going to kill me”
- Her killer posed as a delivery driver on a motorcycle, a method commonly used by cartel hitmen in the region
- The murder highlights Mexico’s femicide crisis, with over 50,000 women murdered since 2001
- Authorities are investigating potential connections to cartel activity and a nearby killing of a former congressman
Fatal Livestream Captures Influencer’s Final Moments
Valeria Márquez’s death was broadcast live to her followers when an assailant posing as a delivery person arrived at her beauty salon in Jalisco, Mexico. The 23-year-old social media personality, known for showcasing a luxurious lifestyle to her nearly 200,000 followers, had expressed concern for her safety just minutes before the attack. Security footage shows the killer arriving on a motorcycle, handing Márquez a stuffed animal and Starbucks coffee before shooting her in the head and chest, execution-style.
In a chilling prediction of her fate, Márquez can be heard on the livestream saying, “Maybe they were going to kill me” and “Were they going to come and take me away, or what? I’m worried.” These haunting words, captured just moments before her murder, suggest she may have had reason to fear for her safety, though her specific concerns remain unclear. The calculated nature of the attack has led investigators to consider connections to organized crime activity in the region.
Cartel Connection Under Investigation
The Jalisco region where Márquez was killed is a known stronghold of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most violent criminal organizations. The use of motorcycle hitmen is a signature tactic employed by cartel assassins throughout the country. Denis Rodríguez, an investigator quoted in reports, noted, “The aggressor arrived asking if the victim (Márquez) was there. So it appears he didn’t know her,” suggesting a potential contract killing rather than a personal grudge.
“The aggressor arrived asking if the victim (Márquez) was there. So it appears he didn’t know her” – Denis Rodríguez.
Authorities are investigating possible connections between Márquez’s murder and the killing of a former congressman in the same area on the same day. Jalisco currently ranks sixth in homicides among Mexico’s 32 states, with 906 murders recorded since October 2024. The proximity of these two high-profile killings has raised concerns about escalating violence in the region controlled by one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal enterprises.
Mexico’s Femicide Crisis Intensifies
Márquez’s murder is being investigated as a femicide – the intentional killing of a woman with gender-related motivations. Her death adds to the staggering toll of at least 50,000 women murdered in Mexico since 2001. Despite efforts to address this epidemic, the rate of violence against women continues to climb in many regions across the country. Law enforcement officials often struggle to properly classify and investigate these crimes, contributing to a culture of impunity.
“Too many victims of femicide still go uncounted: for roughly four in 10 intentional murders of women and girls, there is not enough information to identify them as gender-related killings because of national variation in criminal justice recording and investigation practices” – UN Women.
According to the World Health Organization, targeted interventions are essential to reducing femicide rates: “stronger gun laws related to men previously cited for or convicted of intimate partner abuse are of particular importance in reducing rates of femicide.” While Márquez’s case appears connected to organized crime rather than domestic violence, experts emphasize that both forms of femicide stem from a societal devaluation of women’s lives and require specific policy responses beyond general anti-violence measures.
Digital Witness to Violence
The public nature of Márquez’s murder, captured on livestream and circulated widely online, has brought renewed attention to Mexico’s femicide crisis. While her significant social media following has amplified coverage of her death, thousands of murdered Mexican women receive little media attention or justice. The viral spread of her final moments has sparked outrage across the country, with demonstrators demanding government action to protect women and hold perpetrators accountable.
As investigators work to identify and apprehend Márquez’s killer, her death serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by women in Mexico. The intersection of organized crime, social media visibility, and gender-based violence in this case highlights the complex factors contributing to the country’s ongoing femicide emergency. For many citizens and activists, the question remains whether the public nature of this particular murder will finally catalyze meaningful reforms to protect women’s lives.
