A popular TikTok personality, Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, along with her family, was tragically discovered murdered inside a pickup truck in Mexico. The victims included Esmeralda, her husband Roberto Carlos Gil Licea, their 13-year-old son Gael Santiago, and seven-year-old daughter Regina. The authorities found the abandoned grey Ford Ranger in Guadalajara, Jalisco, last Friday, confirming their identities only recently.
The family had relocated to the Guadalajara metropolitan area for work a few months ago. Roberto was involved in vehicle trading and tomato farming in Michoacan state. Investigators suspect that the killings may be tied to his business dealings.
Esmeralda, known as Esmeralda FG online, had a substantial following on social media, particularly on TikTok under the handle @esmeraldafg222. While she shared lifestyle and travel content, she also posted videos of herself lip-syncing to “narcocorrido” drug songs.
Some of her more controversial posts included phrases like “advantages of having a narco boyfriend,” set to the music of drug ballads, some related to the Beltrán Leyva cartel. Her final post, dated August 7, garnered over 100,000 views, with other videos amassing more than 600,000 views.
In her videos, the influencer flaunted luxury brands like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace, along with lavish holiday destinations and high-end cars. She also featured clips with her children and her Pomeranian pets.
Authorities utilized CCTV footage to trace part of the pickup’s route to a nearby mechanic’s workshop. Prosecutor Alfonso Gutierrez Santillan revealed that evidence at the scene strongly suggests that the family was murdered there. While awaiting forensic results, ballistic and blood evidence is likely to confirm the killings occurred at that location. Two individuals present at the workshop were initially questioned but later released due to insufficient evidence.
After leaving the prosecutor’s office, they encountered two individuals waiting for them. Shortly after, armed men abducted three of them, while one managed to escape. The whereabouts of the missing individuals remain unknown, and the authorities are seeking the fourth individual for questioning. Prosecutor Blanca Trujillo stated that the perpetrators had been monitoring the group’s movements for over two hours before carrying out the abduction.
The tragic incident involving the family occurs amidst a surge of violence in Mexico, with several targeted attacks directed at singers of narco corridos drug ballads. Recently, Ernesto Barajas, lead singer of the popular group Enigma Norteno, known for their cartel-themed songs, was fatally shot in Zapopan, Jalisco. Police have initiated an investigation into his murder.