The story of Vanessa Gurrola, Former Mexican beauty queen and influencer, has taken an unexpected turn after her recent arrest in San Diego, California, due to a young Mazatlan woman, 32 years old, She faces charges of first-degree murder, accused of allegedly being involved in the murder of Christian Espinoza Silver, alias “El Chato,” an operator of the Arellano Félix Cartel.
Gurrola, born on May 13, 1993 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, achieved notoriety in the world of modeling from an early age. She was crowned queen of the Floral Games Festival in 2011 and in 2013 she was among the ten most beautiful women at the Mazatlán Carnival. Her beauty and charisma led her to consolidate a successful career as an influencer, accumulating more than 1.4 million followers on Instagram, where she showed a lifestyle surrounded by luxury and travel.
We recommend: After an agreement with Coca Cola, Mexico agrees to lower taxes on soft drinks
However, behind that glamorous image a much darker story would have been woven, according to investigations, Since 2017, Gurrola would have maintained a romantic relationship with El Chato, who was murdered in February 2024 during an armed attack in University City, California, which left two people dead.
The alleged closeness between the two placed her on the radar of the US authorities, who point to her as possibly involved in the crime.
Although the authorities have not yet revealed the motive for the murder, the figure of Gurrola has aroused great media interest due to his alleged links with organized crime. El Chato was known for being a close collaborator of Edwin Huerta Nuño, alias “El Flaquito”, one of the main operators of the Arellano Félix Cartel, which has reinforced suspicions about the model’s links with this criminal group.
The case became more relevant in September 2024, when Gurrola’s name appeared on a series of flyers dropped from small planes in Sinaloa, where he was linked to the Los Chapitos faction, led by the children of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. In these pamphlets he was accused of alleged money laundering and extortion activities, along with other individuals related to drug trafficking.
On October 9, Gurrola was arrested in San Diego and remains in custody while awaiting her court hearing scheduled for October 20. Despite the serious accusations against her, the former beauty queen continues to be a difficult figure to separate from the public eye, due to her enormous digital presence and the interest aroused by her fall from fame to scandal.
Read also: What are the risks of the SAT monitoring Tinder, Bumble and other dating apps?
THAT