Influencer Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay and Family Found Dead in Tragic Cartel-Style Discovery

Guadalajara, Mexico (Sept. 1, 2025) - Mexican influencer Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, 32, her husband, Roberto Carlos Gil Licea, 36, and their two children, 13-year-old Gael Santiago and 7-year-old Regina, were found dead on Aug. 22 inside a pickup truck parked in the San Andrés neighborhood of Guadalajara. All four victims were discovered wrapped in plastic, prompting authorities to investigate the possibility of cartel involvement in what is being treated as a multiple homicide.

Prosecutor Alfonso Gutiérrez Santillán held a press conference confirming that the bodies were left in the defunct vehicle, which was abandoned at a local mechanic shop. Although three men employed at the shop were briefly detained, they were released due to insufficient evidence tying them to the crime scene. Officials stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and no definitive motive has been disclosed.

Ferrer Garibay gained more than 43,000 followers on TikTok under the handle “Esmeralda FG,” where she posted lifestyle and travel content after beginning her social media career in April 2020. Her final TikTok post, shared Aug. 7, showed her driving on her ranch; she also posted a video of her white dog running on her lawn just days before the family’s deaths.

Local and federal investigators are collaborating with cartel intelligence units to determine whether the killings were connected to organized crime. Friends and followers of Ferrer Garibay have paid tribute on social media, mourning the sudden loss of the entire family and calling for justice in a country grappling with narco-related violence.