…the TikTok user’s posts had drawn attention to the activities of Tren de Aragua, one of Venezuela’s most wanted criminal gangs.
The iNews Times reports that the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the murder of a popular TikTok user with over 80,000 followers, Jesus Sarmiento, who was killed by armed men during a livestream over the weekend.
According to reports, Sarmiento was staying at a residence when armed men broke in and attacked him.
A livestream, which was shared on social media, captured the horrific moment when Sarmiento was shot.
In the video, a woman can be heard screaming for help in the background as Sarmiento says, “They shot me, they shot me,” while blood is visible on the floor. Two armed men appear briefly before the stream ends.
The prosecutor’s office announced on Instagram that Attorney General Tarek William Saab has tasked the Public Prosecutor’s Office with investigating, identifying, and punishing those responsible for Sarmiento’s assassination.
The office stated that Sarmiento had denounced the threats he was receiving from members of GEDOS, a structured organized crime group, and alleged police officers.
Sarmiento’s TikTok posts had drawn attention to the activities of the Tren de Aragua, one of Venezuela’s most wanted criminal gangs, led by Hector Rusthenford Guerrero, also known as “Nino Guerrero”.
Despite the claims by the government that the gang has been dismantled, the United States considers it a “terrorist” organization.
Sarmiento shared photos and videos of alleged gang members and denounced the “extortion” by police officers.
Sarmiento in one of his last videos claimed to have been kidnapped by DAET, the police’s Directorate of Strategic and Tactical Actions. “We are overrun with delinquent officials who work with common criminals,” he added.
The murder of Sarmiento has sparked widespread outrage, and the investigation is said to be ongoing.
The iNews Times reports that the case bears some similarities to the murder of a young influencer in Jalisco, Mexico, in May, which shocked the country.
While authorities in the Mexican case insisted there was no evidence linking the murder to organized crime, Sarmiento’s case appears to be directly linked to his denunciations of the Tren de Aragua and corrupt police officials.
The Venezuelan prosecutor’s office is working to bring those responsible for Sarmiento’s murder to justice, and the case is being closely watched by the public and human rights organizations.
