A Venezuelan social media influencer known for speaking out against gangs and alleged police corruption was shot and killed Monday during a TikTok livestream, according to authorities.
The Ministry of Public Safety confirmed on Instagram that Gabriel Jesús Sarmiento was killed in Maracay, the capital of Venezuela’s Aragua state.
Sarmiento had built a following by openly criticizing criminal organizations and accusing law enforcement of corruption. The ministry noted that his killing came shortly after he reported receiving threats from members of *Grupos Estructurados de Delincuencia Organizada* (Organized Crime Structured Groups) and individuals he claimed were corrupt police officers.
Though Maracay is the stronghold of the infamous Tren de Aragua gang, no direct link has been established between the gang and Sarmiento’s death.
Authorities have tasked the 69th Prosecutor’s Office Against Organized Crime with investigating the killing and bringing those responsible to justice.
A video of Sarmiento’s final livestream, reviewed by CNN, captures a woman screaming in the background as a man frantically asks, “What happened, what happened?” Moments later, gunfire erupts. Sarmiento’s voice is then heard shouting, “They shot me!” before the video shows two unidentified armed men. The livestream cuts off seconds later.
Sarmiento’s murder follows a disturbing trend of violence targeting Latin American influencers. In May, Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was gunned down inside a salon in Jalisco while livestreaming, sparking widespread outrage. Days earlier, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz was also shot and killed during a livestream alongside three others.
CNN has reached out to Aragua police, Sarmiento’s family, and Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab for comment.
The assassination of Gabriel Jesús Sarmiento highlights a terrifying evolution in the risks faced by digital activists in Latin America. For Sarmiento, the very platform that granted him a megaphone—TikTok—became the medium for his execution. This "live-streamed tragedy" underscores a grim reality in Venezuela: the line between digital dissent and physical peril has completely dissolved. In a country where traditional media is tightly controlled, social media has become the last remaining frontier for grassroots accountability, but as Sarmiento’s death proves, it is a frontier governed by the law of the gun.
To understand the gravity of Sarmiento’s death, one must look at the specific geography of the crime. Maracay is not merely a regional capital; it is the operational heart of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal syndicate that has expanded its reach as far as Chile and the United States. While authorities have not officially named the group in connection to the shooting, the "modus operandi"—a high-profile, public execution designed to instill maximum fear—is a hallmark of their control.
Sarmiento’s content often touched upon the "symbiotic relationship" between these gangs and local precincts. In his final weeks, he alleged that certain police units were not only ignoring the Grupos Estructurados de Delincuencia Organizada (GEDO) but were actively facilitating their extortion rackets. By naming specific officers, Sarmiento crossed an invisible line, moving from general social commentary to a direct threat against a lucrative and violent status quo.
Sarmiento’s death is a data point in a surging regional trend where influencers are being targeted as political actors. In the absence of strong judicial institutions, "citizen journalists" like Sarmiento and Mexico’s Valeria Marquez provide the only real-time reporting on cartel activity and state negligence. This makes them high-value targets for groups that rely on silence and anonymity to operate.
- The "TikTok Effect": The algorithm-driven nature of TikTok allows hyper-local news to go viral instantly, often reaching the very people being criticized before they can mount a legal or PR defense.
- The Lack of Protection: Unlike traditional journalists, influencers rarely have the backing of major media corporations or access to security protocols. They are often "lone wolves" operating from their living rooms with nothing but a smartphone.
The appointment of the 69th Prosecutor’s Office Against Organized Crime is seen by many Venezuelans as a hollow gesture. Attorney General Tarek William Saab has frequently used his office to prosecute political dissidents, leading to a profound lack of public trust in the state's ability to investigate "corrupt police" within its own ranks.
"When the accused and the investigator wear the same uniform, justice becomes a theatrical performance," said a local human rights advocate who requested anonymity for safety reasons.
For Sarmiento's followers, the investigation's success will be measured not by arrests of low-level "sicarios" (hitmen), but by whether the "intellectual authors" within the police force are brought to light. As of now, the digital community in Maracay remains in a state of self-imposed censorship, as the viral footage of Sarmiento’s final moments serves as a permanent, haunting warning to anyone else thinking of pressing the "Go Live" button.
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