A Mexican teenager and rising YouTube star was shot to death after he recorded himself insulting one of Mexico’s most dangerous drug lords while seemingly intoxicated.
Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales, known as “El Pirata de Culiacan,” or “The Pirate of Culiacan,” left his hometown in Sinaloa at age 15 without finishing high school.
He grew up in the nearby municipality of Culiacan, where he earned his nickname — and a reputation for excessive drinking and partying, El Pais reported.
He posted videos on social media in which he chugged beer and bottles of whiskey and sometimes passed out, according to The Washington Post.
The videos were popular — by age 17 Lagunas Rosales had amassed more than a million followers on Facebook and counted more than 300,000 followers on Instagram.
His videos earned him cameos in music videos and at promotional events.
The young entertainer seemed like he was in a hurry to grow up — he drew a beard on his chin and tattooed his arms to look older. His Instagram photos show him posing with large guns, half-naked women and luxury cars.
“El Pirata de Culiacan” acted recklessly — as if he were impervious to the consequences of his actions.
He treated life as if it were one big party, according the reports.
Sinaloa is one of Mexico’s most violent states — and Lagunas Rosales took a jab at one of its most dangerous drug lords, according to U.S. government officials.
Nemesio Ocegera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” is the leader of the New Generation Cartel of Jalisco — one of the most powerful cartels.
He previously served close to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin in the U.S.
Lagunas Rosales, in a recent video, reportedly said, “El Mencho a mi me pela la verga,” which, loosely translated, means, “suck my c—.”
It’s not clear why Lagunas took aim at “El Mencho,” but the insult was in line with his clownish, provocative behavior.
On Monday, as he and his friends partied at a bar in Jalisco, a group of armed individuals stormed in and fired at Lagunas Rosales, who died from 15 to 18 bullet wounds, the attorney general of Jalisco, Raul Sanchez Jimenez, told Mexican media.
Authorities identified Lagunas Rosales by his tattoos.
No suspects have been identified, nor have authorities determined what the official motive behind the murder was.
However, officials are investigating a possible link between his death and the recently recorded insult directed at El Mencho, Mexican news outlets reported.
El Mencho’s cartel has been linked to thousands of murders, according to a Rolling Stone profile. El Mencho is believed to be responsible for many of them.
“This is a guy who’ll execute your whole family based on not much more than a rumor,” a source told Rolling Stone. “He just has zero regard for human life.”
This year has been one of Mexico’s bloodiest — an average of 69 murders a day were committed during the first 10 months of the year, according to a Reuters report.
Lagunas Rosales reportedly wanted to tame his bad habits. “You drink a lot at once, and the body isn’t meant for that,” he told radio host and producer Pepe Garza in July.
He aspired to be a singer and reportedly signed a contract with a record label.
