A cartel kidnapping unfolded in broad daylight in Mexico this week after an American OnlyFans influencer was abducted at gunpoint outside a shopping center in Culiacán, Sinaloa. Authorities say the violent incident, captured on vehicle cameras, highlights the growing dangers tied to cartel violence and social media notoriety.
According to Spanish outlet El País, 20-year-old Mexican-American Nicole Pardo Molina was taken Tuesday after multiple armed men targeted her distinctive lilac Cybertruck outside a mall. Molina, who has more than 180,000 Instagram followers, was reportedly selling merchandise featuring cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán when the abduction occurred. Officials believe the cartel kidnapping may be linked to turf disputes between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Video footage shows a white Toyota Corolla pulling alongside Molina’s vehicle after attackers allegedly used tire spikes to force her to stop. “According to initial investigations, three armed men in a stolen white vehicle threw tire spikes at the SUV the victim was traveling in, intercepted it, and then forced the victim into the car,” authorities said, according to El País. The footage shows Molina struggling to escape before the men overpowered her and fled.
The Attorney General’s Office of the State of Sinaloa confirmed a missing persons case is active and warned, “It is considered that her safety may be at risk, as she could be a victim of a crime.” Officials say they have no information on her whereabouts.
Molina was born and raised in the United States, with her parents living in Phoenix, Arizona. She reportedly traveled frequently between Arizona and Sinaloa. The case adds to rising concerns as hundreds of women disappeared in Sinaloa in 2025 alone, with influencers increasingly targeted amid cartel conflicts.
