Zapopan / Washington / Mexico City - About the moment when Valeria Márquez, 23 years old, was shot dead during a TikTok livestream in her beauty salon in Zapopan. We had reported on this case several times. About her last words - "They're coming" - and the ghostly video that went around the world. Now the investigation has taken a new turn: a "sorry" bouquet, placed in front of her salon, has led to a name-linked lead. Fingerprints on the vase and the black wrapping are currently being analyzed, even though the flower shop had no cameras. The delivery man testified that he knew nothing about the sender - his only task was to deliver the macabre arrangement and take a photo as proof of receipt. Márquez herself had indicated a few days before the crime that someone with an "expensive gift" wanted to see her - but she had no intention of receiving him.
The US government has since sanctioned Ricardo Ruíz Velasco, alias "El Double R," a high-ranking commander of the Jalisco Cartel (CJNG) and alleged former partner of Márquez, due to his suspected involvement in the crime. It is the first time that a cartel member has been publicly named by the United States for this reason. According to the US Treasury Department, this is a targeted femicide meant as a show of force within organized crime. The Mexican Attorney General's Office in Jalisco, on the other hand, stated that it had no solid evidence against Ruíz Velasco but requested access to the US documentation. The case thus illustrates not only the extent of gender-based violence - but also how political and geopolitical interests influence its visibility.
As shocking as the murder of Márquez is - it is not an isolated case. In Mexico, an average of ten women are killed every day in femicides. According to official figures, there were 797 such acts recorded in 2024, but activists believe this number to be far too low. More than 2,900 additional murdered women were not classified as femicides - a structural failure. Many prosecutors' offices are poorly equipped, untrained, or simply unwilling to define such crimes as what they are: hate crimes against women. While the Márquez case receives international attention, the daily deaths in cities like Culiacán or Veracruz continue without political consequence. "It is not progress if we only act where it fits geopolitically," says one women's rights advocate. What remains is a quiet cry for justice - and the hope that the name Valeria Márquez stands not only for a single act but for a long-overdue movement.
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