Jesus Sarmiento, 25, had been posting dozens of accusations on his social media hours before his death alleging officials were gang members and he was being extorted by the infamous Tren de Aragua
| Published June 27, 2025
🗓️ What happened
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On June 22, 2025, 25-year-old Venezuelan influencer Gabriel Jesús Sarmiento Rodríguez (known online as @unleacks) was livestreaming from his home in El Piñonal, Maracay, when two masked gunmen broke in. He shouted his address, begged for help, and said “they shot me” on camera before being fatally shot. He was hit at least nine times. His mother, also present, was shot in the abdomen and survived instagram.com+12gatewayhispanic.com+12latintimes.com+12.
⚠️ Who he was & what he was saying
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Sarmiento was a computer programmer and cybersecurity analyst with ~80,000 TikTok followers.
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He used his platform to expose corruption, criticising local police and public officials, and targeting criminal groups like Tren de Aragua and Tren del Llano. He specifically named figures like Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Aragua Governor Johana Sánchez es.wikipedia.org+11gatewayhispanic.com+11the-sun.com+11.
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He alleged being threatened by these gangs, kidnapped by the DAET police unit, and even pressured while detained in La Morita prison, before the murder financialexpress.com+7es.wikipedia.org+7the-sun.com+7.
🔍 Context: gangs & corruption
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Tren de Aragua is a major Venezuelan gang—designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.—linked to murder, extortion, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and corruption across Latin America and into the U.S.
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The Venezuelan authorities deny its current existence, but U.S. and international bodies continue to take action (deportations, legal designations, investigations).
⚖️ Official responses
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Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab assigned the 69th Prosecutor’s Office (organized crime) to investigate and promised to bring perpetrators to justice.
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Global coverage has drawn comparisons to other livestreamed murders in Latin America, spotlighting the alarming trend of violence and silencing of critics.
📌 Why it’s significant
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This wasn’t just a crime—it was broadcast live to hundreds of thousands, a chilling example of real-time violence targeting a whistleblower.
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It underscores the deadly nexus of organized crime, state corruption, and impunity in Venezuela.
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By livestreaming, Sarmiento ensured the world would witness his fate, turning his last moments into a global symbol.
Pictured: the feared leader of the Tren de Aragua gang, Hector Rutherford Guerrero Flores, dubbed the ‘Niño Guerrero’ or ‘warrior boy’
This is the horrifying moment a Venezuelan influencer is shot dead on a TikTok live stream after naming high-profile gang members who were allegedly extorting him
Two men with guns appear around the corner, seem to shoot the influencer twice as the footage captures a scuffle and then the live-stream ends abruptly
Implications
🔴 1. Free Speech & Digital Dissent in Authoritarian States
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The assassination sends a clear message of intimidation: speaking out online—even from your own home—can be deadly.
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Influencers and independent digital journalists now face greater fear of reprisal, especially when exposing government or gang activity.
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Venezuela’s censorship history deepens the concern: it raises questions about the state’s complicity or negligence.
🧠 2. Social Media as a Battleground
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Sarmiento used platforms like TikTok to bypass traditional media and reach the public—something repressive regimes and criminal groups view as a threat.
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The livestreaming of his death becomes both a tool of awareness and trauma, turning digital space into a literal crime scene.
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Platforms face renewed pressure to improve real-time response mechanisms to livestreamed violence.
🏴☠️ 3. Criminal Cartel-State Nexus
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Tren de Aragua’s alleged involvement, alongside Sarmiento’s direct accusations of police and politicians, underscores the blurred lines between criminal syndicates and state actors.
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The lack of immediate arrests or credible protections feeds a sense of deep systemic corruption and impunity in Venezuela.
🌍 4. Regional & Global Fallout
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The U.S. and other countries may tighten sanctions or terrorism designations against Venezuelan-linked criminal groups.
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Neighboring countries—where Tren de Aragua also operates—are on alert for cross-border gang activity and political spillover.
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Migrants fleeing Venezuela might increasingly cite personal safety and political persecution, affecting asylum trends.
⚖️ 5. Calls for International Oversight
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Human rights groups may push for international investigations into Sarmiento’s killing and broader issues of digital journalist protections.
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The case could be used by international watchdogs as evidence in broader arguments about freedom of expression violations in Latin America.
💬 Overall Takeaway:
The brutal, livestreamed assassination of Gabriel Sarmiento is more than just a tragedy—it is a powerful indictment of the deepening crisis in Venezuela, where truth-telling can cost a life. It highlights the growing dangers faced by digital activists, the alarming entanglement of state actors with organized crime, and the limitations of social media platforms in protecting vulnerable voices. As the international community watches, this case serves as a grim reminder: in regions where justice is weak and corruption is strong, speaking out online has become a deadly act of courage.
