Overview

• Mexican influencer Valeria Marquez was fatally shot on May 13 during a TikTok livestream at her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, by a man posing as a delivery driver.
• Colombian influencer Maria Jose Estupinan Sanchez was killed on May 15 outside her home in Cucuta; the assailant also posed as a delivery worker and fled after the attack.
• Authorities in Mexico are investigating potential cartel involvement in Marquez’s murder, noting the use of cartel-style tactics such as gunmen on motorcycles.
• Colombian police are focusing on Estupinan’s ex-boyfriend as a key suspect, following her recent legal victory in a domestic abuse case, though no arrests have been made in either case.
• Both murders are being investigated under femicide protocols, reflecting the broader issue of gender-based violence and low accountability for such crimes in the region.