Influencer Esmeralda Ferrer, Husband, and 2 Children Murdered in Mexico

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. — The ‘tiktoker’ Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, known on social media as Esmeralda FG, was murdered along with her husband and their two children inside a last-model pick-up truck in San Andrés, Guadalajara. The bodies were found on August 22, but it wasn’t until Thursday, August 28, that the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the identity of the influencer and her family. According to Alfonso Gutiérrez, executive vice-prosecutor of Criminal Investigation, the main line of investigation indicates that the attack could be related to Ferrer’s husband, who was engaged in the buying and selling of vehicles and the production of tomatoes in Michoacán, and not directly with her. Esmeralda Ferrer had built a recognizable image on TikTok, initially participating in viral challenges and later showcasing her aspirational lifestyle, with luxury clothing, sports cars, and travel. Her aesthetic aligned with the “buchón” style, characterized by heavy makeup, cosmetic surgeries, and emphasis on symbols of economic power.

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The influencer also generated controversy for including narcocorridos and “tumbados corridos” in her videos, and even wrote in one of them: “Advantages of having a narco boyfriend,” which was interpreted as an apology for the crime.

At least 5 influencers murdered in the last few weeks

This murder is added to a recent list of at least five homicides of content creators pointed out in flyers thrown in Culiacán, Sinaloa, for alleged links with the Los Chapitos faction. These threats are part of a pattern of violence directed towards public figures linked, according to the messages, to criminal activities of the cartel.

Since September 9, 2024, the Sinaloa Cartel has been facing an internal war that has unleashed a wave of violence following the capture in July of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, former leader of the organization. On January 9, 2025, narco-flyers dropped from a small plane in different parts of Culiacán accused content creators and singers, including Camilo Ochoa, Peso Pluma, Markitos Toys and Gail Castro, generating alarm in the community and on social media.