Mexican Beauty Influencer Valeria Márquez Shot Dead While Livestreaming

Zapopan, Mexico – On Tuesday, 13 May 2025, Mexican influencer Valeria Márquez, 23, was shot dead during a TikTok livestream at her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco. Authorities are now investigating Ricardo Ruíz Velasco, alias ‘RR’, ‘El Doble R’, or ‘El Tripa’, a known leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), as the prime suspect.

According to Jalisco authorities, Ruíz Velasco was reportedly in a romantic relationship with Márquez and allegedly grew angry after she publicly flaunted expensive gifts from fans. Just hours after she posted about a lavish present, a man posing as a delivery person entered her salon and shot her twice — once in the chest and once in the head, killing her instantly.

Ruíz Velasco leads the CJNG’s Elite Group, involved in violent conflicts with rival cartels, and has a history of violent acts. He has previously been linked to the 2012 murder of Daisy Ferrer Arenas and the 2017 assassination of Juan Luis Lagunas, known online as El Pirata de Culiacán.

Authorities are treating Márquez’s killing as a femicide, reflecting Mexico’s ongoing gender violence crisis, where 10 women are killed daily on average, according to the UN. The suspect remains at large as forensic teams continue the investigation.