It’s one of those things you see on your feed and instantly wish you hadn't. A young woman, full of life, chatting with her followers, and then—in a split second—everything changes. The video of Valeria Marquez isn't just another viral clip; it’s a haunting digital footprint of a tragedy that stopped the scrolling fingers of millions across Mexico and the world.
Valeria was 23. She was a beauty influencer, a business owner, and a former beauty queen from Jalisco. If you follow the Mexican social media scene, you probably knew her as "Vale." She ran Blossom The Beauty Lounge in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara. On May 13, 2025, she was doing what she did best: connecting with her fans through a TikTok livestream.
Then the unthinkable happened.
The Chilling Details of the Livestream
People who were watching the live feed at the time describe a scene that felt normal until it didn't. Valeria was sitting at a table in her salon. She was holding a stuffed pink pig. It looked like any other Tuesday evening broadcast.
Suddenly, she looked off-camera. Her expression changed. She said, "They’re coming."
A man’s voice, calm and chillingly polite, asked, "Hi, are you Valeria?"
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She said, "Yes."
She muted her microphone. Within seconds, shots were fired. The video of Valeria Marquez captured her clutching her chest before she collapsed. She was hit in the torso and the head. The shooter, who had reportedly arrived on a motorcycle, fled the scene immediately. By the time authorities arrived at Blossom The Beauty Lounge, Valeria was still in her chair, still holding that stuffed toy. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The "Gift" That Wasn't a Gift
One of the most disturbing parts of this whole story is the setup. Earlier in that same video, Valeria had told her audience about a weird phone call. Someone named "Erika" had called her saying that a delivery guy had an "expensive gift" for her.
Valeria was skeptical. She even said at one point, "Dude, they might've been about to kill me."
It’s heartbreaking to watch that footage now. She had a gut feeling that something was wrong. But in the world of influencers, receiving gifts is part of the job. You've got to wonder if that's how the hitman—and prosecutors do believe this was a targeted hit—managed to get her to confirm her location.
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Why This Case is Being Treated as Femicide
The Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office didn't just label this a standard homicide. They are investigating it under femicide protocols. In Mexico, femicide is a specific legal category for the killing of women based on their gender.
Honestly, the statistics are grim. Roughly 10 women or girls are murdered every day in Mexico. But when it happens live on camera to a public figure like Marquez, it forces a conversation that’s usually buried in the back pages of the newspaper.
There's been a lot of talk about who could have ordered the hit. Some people on Instagram pointed fingers at a possible ex-boyfriend. Others noted that Zapopan is a stronghold for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). While there’s no direct evidence linking the cartel to the video of Valeria Marquez, the professional nature of the "sicario" (hitman) style attack has led many to believe it wasn't a random act of violence.
The Aftermath and Digital Impact
TikTok took the account down pretty fast. But as we know with the internet, once a video is out there, it’s out there. The footage started circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram almost immediately.
It’s a weirdly voyeuristic age we live in. Thousands of people watched her last moments in real-time. The trauma of that isn't just on her family; it's on a whole community of followers who felt they knew her.
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- Valeria’s Background: She was crowned "Miss Rostro" in a local beauty pageant in 2021.
- Business Success: She opened her salon, Blossom The Beauty Lounge, in 2024.
- Follower Count: She had nearly 200,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram at the time of her death.
The Reality of Being an Influencer in Mexico
This isn't an isolated incident. Just days after Valeria was killed, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz was also shot during a livestream. There's a growing trend of influencers becoming targets—either for extortion or because they get caught in the crosshairs of local power struggles.
Valeria lived a life that looked glamorous. Her Instagram was filled with photos on yachts and private planes. Some people use this to victim-blame, questioning where the money came from. But regardless of her lifestyle, she was a 23-year-old woman working in her own shop when she was executed.
The mayor of Zapopan, Juan Jose Frangie, mentioned that his office had no record of Valeria asking for help or reporting threats. This is a common theme. People are often too scared to go to the police because they don't know who they can trust.
Navigating the Information Online
If you are looking for the video of Valeria Marquez, be careful. Most of the links you'll find on social media right now are clickbait or lead to malware. Major platforms have been scrubbed of the most graphic content out of respect for her family, but the "delivery guy" segment of the video is still frequently discussed in true crime circles.
Basically, the case remains an open wound in Jalisco. No suspects have been publicly named or arrested yet, which is a frustratingly common outcome in these types of cases.
Actionable Takeaways for Digital Safety
For those who create content or have a public profile, this tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks involved with real-time location sharing.
- Delay Your Posts: Avoid posting your exact location while you are still there. Use a "post-later" strategy for stories and lives.
- Verify Deliveries: If someone claims to have an "expensive gift" or a delivery you weren't expecting, do not confirm your presence. Use a third-party pickup location or a secure building foyer.
- Trust Your Gut: Valeria mentioned she felt she might be in danger. If you feel unsafe, end the stream and move to a secure location immediately.
- Privacy Settings: Regularly audit who has access to your business address and personal details. For influencers, using a PO box or a business manager’s office for mail is a standard safety measure.
The video of Valeria Marquez serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the fragility of life and the very real dangers that can lurk behind a digital screen.