Inside the Sinaloa Cartel’s war on influencers - The Times

In Mexico’s brutal cartel turf wars, social media feeds have become lethal battlegrounds. After the Sinaloa Cartel’s 2024 fracture into rival factions — “La Mayiza” and “Los Chapitos” — gangs traded traditional narcocorridos for viral algorithms, co-opting influencers to flaunt power, recruit youth and launder illicit cash through creator-fronted businesses.

Lured by fame and easy money, influencers are getting caught in the crossfire. The line between viral fame and public execution is razor-thin: one suspected allegiance can land a creator’s face on a cartel kill list.

With 98 per cent murder impunity and social-media moderation lagging behind coded narco-slang, creators remain disposable pawns caught in the crosshairs of ruthless, algorithmic warfare.