An Arizona influencer with ties to a Mexican cartel was reportedly kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico on Tuesday, as captured by her car’s camera. Nicole Pardo Molina, a 20-year-old known for her eye-catching lilac Cybertruck, was outside a shopping center in Culiacan, Sinaloa, where she was selling merchandise featuring the image of cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The area is said to be controlled by factions that rival the Sinaloa cartel, hinting that her abduction may be connected to cartel disputes.
The incident was detailed in a video. Molina, who has over 180,000 Instagram followers, encountered several attackers in a white Toyota Corolla. They deployed tire spikes to bring her SUV to a halt, then forcibly pulled her into their vehicle, according to reports.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that Molina desperately tried to re-enter her car as chaos ensued, but ultimately, the men overpowered her and sped away. Local authorities in Sinaloa opened a missing persons investigation and expressed concerns that Molina could be the victim of a crime, considering the ongoing turf wars among cartels.
Molina was particularly recognized in Culiacan for her unique light purple Cybertruck. Authorities confirmed they had no leads on her current location. The Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office stated they believe she might be in danger.
Reports suggest that Molina, originally from the U.S. with her family based in Phoenix, was frequently traveling between Culiacan and Arizona. She had left school in the U.S. to pursue business opportunities in Mexico after the pandemic.
While no direct criminal connections had been established prior to her kidnapping, it appears to be linked to escalating cartel conflicts. Notably, Sinaloa has seen a rising number of kidnappings, especially among influencers who face threats for their associations with particular cartel groups.
