A Venezuelan influencer known for exposing corruption among public officials was shot and killed while livestreaming on TikTok.
Gabriel Jesús Sarmiento Rodríguez, 25, known online as @unleacks, was broadcasting live on Sunday in the state of Aragua when a group of unidentified men entered his home and fatally shot him.
In the video, a woman can be heard screaming for help as the attackers storm the home. Sarmiento, aware of the danger, called for assistance from Venezuela's Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and repeatedly gave his address.
"El Piñonal, JJ Montesinos Street," he says in the recording before a burst of gunfire is heard. Armed men then appear on camera, shoot Sarmiento twice and cut off the livestream.
Gabriel Sarmiento, un venezolano que se atrevió a denunciar en redes sociales a la tiranía de Nicolás Maduro, FUE ASESINADO DURANTE UNA TRANSMISIÓN EN VIVO por agentes del SEBIN, la policía política del dictador @NicolasMaduro
— Emmanuel Rincón (@EmmaRincon) June 24, 2025
Este es el régimen asesino venezolano que la… pic.twitter.com/jCPduYJf6F
The attack occurred June 22, according to El País, and the footage quickly went viral across social media platforms.
Sarmiento had gained a large following on TikTok for posting videos denouncing alleged corruption by Venezuelan police officers and exposing members of organized crime groups, including the Tren de Aragua and Tren del Llano. In some of his final videos, he accused local officers of extortion and tagged high-ranking officials, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Aragua state Gov. Johana Sánchez in order to draw attention to his claims.
He also reported receiving threats from inside La Morita prison, a detention center near Maracay, where he said he had recently been held for 15 days. In one of his last posts, Sarmiento blamed Tren de Aragua gang for the threats and claimed its members, in collusion with corrupt officials, were responsible for holding him.
He also directly named the group's fugitive leader, Héctor Rutherford Guerrero Flores, known as "Niño Guerrero," who has been wanted by Venezuelan authorities since 2023 following a military raid on Tocorón prison, the gang's former base of operations.
"Gabriel Sarmiento" venezolano que se encontraba denunciando a policías corruptos y su vinculación con bandas criminales a través de Tik Tok.
— ¿Por qué es tendencia? (@estendenciavzl) June 24, 2025
Es tendencia porque fue asesinado por sujetos desconocidos mientras se encontraba haciendo una transmisión en vivo, todo quedó grabado. pic.twitter.com/uVf17PrxnN
Following the killing, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab assigned the 69th National Prosecutor's Office to investigate the homicide. Local media reported that Sarmiento's family said he was shot at least nine times. His mother, the woman heard screaming in the video, was reportedly wounded after getting shot in the abdomen.
Although the video was not saved to Sarmiento's TikTok account, clips were widely shared by users who had joined the livestream.
His killing adds to a growing list of social media influencers targeted across Latin America. In recent weeks, Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Márquez was killed during a livestream in Guadalajara, and Colombian influencer María José Estupiñán was fatally shot outside her home in Cúcuta.
In Márquez's case, authorities believe the attacker was a former partner who was also allegedly affiliated with the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Similarly, Colombian authorities say Estupiñán's killer was her former partner, whom she had previously reported for domestic violence.
Prior to her death, Estupiñán was set to receive a compensation payment of about $7,000 for a domestic violence case she won in 2018. The payment was scheduled to be delivered the day before she was killed.
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