Another Valeria Márquez? Venezuelan TikToker Killed on Livestream After Naming Alleged Gang Members

A Venezuelan influencer was shot dead during a TikTok livestream after naming high-profile gang members he claimed were extorting him.

'They shot me,' said 25-year-old Jesús Sarmiento during the livestream on Sunday, 22 June. The broadcast captured the sound of gunfire, a struggle, and a woman crying, before showing blood on the floor and ending abruptly.

Sarmiento's Live Assassination

Two gunmen appeared in Sarmiento's video and reportedly shot him twice. The footage captured a struggle before the stream was abruptly cut off.

According to Spanish newspaper El País, Sarmiento's family confirmed he was shot at least nine times. The woman heard weeping in the video was identified as his mother. She was reportedly banging on the door and screaming for help. She is believed to have been shot in the abdomen but survived. At the time of writing, Sarmiento is the only confirmed fatality.

Events Leading Up To Horrifying Livestream

Sarmiento, who had 87,000 followers on TikTok, was attacked just hours after he publicly accused high-ranking officials of colluding with criminal gangs.

Among those he named were Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Aragua Governor Johana Sánchez. He also accused corrupt police officers, as well as members of the Tren de Aragua and Tren del Llano gangs, of extorting him.

He even called out gang leader Héctor Rutherford Guerrero Flores, known as 'Niño Guerrero' or 'Warrior Boy'—one of Venezuela's most wanted fugitives. Flores has been on the run for two years following a military raid that disrupted his operations at Tocorón prison.

Earlier this year, Cabello dismissed the gang as 'nothing more than an urban legend'. The Venezuelan government has insisted that the Tren de Aragua was disbanded and denies its ongoing existence. However, the United States designates the group as a terrorist organisation.

Before the livestream, Sarmiento appeared to be en route to a court in Maracay to follow up on threats he had received. He posted several videos tagging law enforcement agencies.

In one of his final videos, he stated: 'I was kidnapped by DAET, the police's Directorate of Strategic and Tactical Actions.' He also alleged that the agency was 'overrun with delinquent officials who work with common criminals.'

Aftermath and Ongoing Investigation

The Venezuelan prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into Sarmiento's murder. Attorney General Tarek William Saab confirmed the probe, stating that the Public Prosecutor's Office would work on 'investigating, identifying, and punishing those responsible for the assassination of Jesús Sarmiento.'

His killing follows a similar incident last month in Mexico, where a young woman named Valeria Márquez was murdered in broad daylight during a livestream. While no links to organised crime were found in that case, prosecutors opened a femicide investigation.

In contrast, Sarmiento's killing appears directly connected to his outspoken criticism of Venezuela's criminal underworld and alleged government corruption. He was visibly distressed in his final posts, aware of the risks he faced in naming powerful figures.

His family and followers are now seeking justice as authorities work to uncover the truth behind his tragic death.