The bodies of Mexican influencer Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, her husband, and their two children were discovered in an abandoned truck in Guadalajara, authorities confirmed. The killings are being investigated as a suspected cartel-style execution.
Ferrer Garibay, 32, a TikTok content creator and singer, was found alongside her husband, Roberto Carlos Gil Licea, 36, and their children, Gael Santiago, 13, and Regina, 7. Officials stated that their remains were wrapped in plastic and left inside a gray Ford Ranger on August 22.
Jalisco state prosecutor Alfonso Gutiérrez Santillán said surveillance footage led investigators to a nearby auto repair shop. There, authorities found blood traces, spent bullet casings, and ballistic evidence. “While the forensic results are not yet in, ballistic and blood evidence almost certainly confirm they were murdered at that location,” Santillán told reporters.
Two men were detained at the shop but later released due to insufficient evidence, according to Diario de Yucatán. Shortly after their release, both men were kidnapped by armed attackers outside the prosecutor’s office. Prosecutor Blanca Trujillo described the ambush as a coordinated operation, noting the attackers had waited more than two hours before striking. One person from the group managed to escape and remains at large.
Authorities confirmed the family’s identities on August 28. Investigators suspect the husband may have been the primary target. Local reports from El Financiero noted his work in vehicle sales and tomato farming in Michoacán, a region with significant cartel activity.
Ferrer Garibay had over 44,000 followers on TikTok, where she often shared videos of luxury goods, vacations, and cosmetic surgeries. Some of her posts included references to narco-corridos, a music style associated with Mexican drug cartels. One viral video carried the caption, “Advantages of having a narco boyfriend,” though prosecutors emphasized that no evidence directly linked her or her husband to organized crime.
The family had recently relocated from Michoacán to Guadalajara in search of work opportunities. The U.S. State Department lists Michoacán among Mexico’s most dangerous states due to widespread criminal activity.
Authorities are awaiting testimony from the surviving witness of the kidnapping linked to the case. No arrests have been made in connection with the killings.
Read More: LAD REPORTING
