Unfortunately, there’s been a situation that has stunned Venezuela.
A 25-year-old TikTok influencer, Jesús Sarmiento, was reportedly shot and killed during a live stream on Sunday, June 22. What’s interesting is that it’s easy to see he may have been targeted thanks to his vocal stance against corruption. The tragic incident took place in his home in Maracay, the capital of the north-central Venezuelan state of Aragua, and has led to an immediate investigation by the Venezuelan Attorney General’s office.
As found by People, this bold act of violence happened after Sarmiento had openly criticized officials who he claimed were working with local criminal groups, including the well-known gangs “El Tren de Aragua” and “El Tren del Llano.” The Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, confirmed that an investigation has been launched, promising to find and punish those responsible for Sarmiento’s death.
Officials from the prosecutor’s office stated that Sarmiento had previously shared threats he received from organized crime groups, known as GEDOs, as well as from people claiming to be police officers. A photo of Sarmiento from one of his livestreams was posted by the prosecutor’s office on social media with the hashtag “Justice,” highlighting the seriousness of the situation and their determination to bring the killers to justice.
A man making corruption known was gunned down on a livestream
Eyewitness reports from local news sources, Ultimas Noticias, El Universal, and La Patilla, described a terrifying scene. Two armed men allegedly broke into Sarmiento’s home. The horrifying moments of the attack were accidentally recorded on Sarmiento’s TikTok livestream, which quickly spread across the country after being shared by other users. The disturbing video included a woman’s screams and the sound of banging on a door, followed by two armed attackers appearing and shooting Sarmiento.
During the live broadcast, Sarmiento could be heard calling for help from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, repeating his address multiple times. Family members of the influencer later revealed that Sarmiento had been shot at least nine times. The woman heard screaming in the video, identified as his mother, was also injured, reportedly suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach. The fact that the attack happened live in front of an audience has made the shock and anger in Venezuela even stronger.
(@mpublicove)Before his murder, Sarmiento had publicly accused government officials of working with powerful criminal organizations. He specifically named “El Tren de Aragua” and “El Tren del Llano,” gangs that he said had been threatening him. These accusations point to a dangerous connection between social media activism and the violent world of organized crime in Venezuela.
“El Tren de Aragua” is an especially powerful and well-known criminal group, even labeled a terrorist organization by the White House. U.S. officials have called it a “regime-sponsored, narco-terrorism enterprise based in Venezuela,” involved in many brutal crimes, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and different kinds of trafficking, such as human, drug, and weapons trafficking.
Due to the extreme danger posed by this group, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing U.S. government agencies to “arrest, detain, secure, and remove” its members from the country. However, this has been used as reasoning to hunt down other immigrants.
