Teen YouTube Star ‘El Pirata De Culiacán’ Insults Mexican Drug Lord ‘El Mencho,’ Gets Gunned Down
YouTube star Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales, a.k.a. "El Pirata de Culiacán," was shot and killed inside a bar in Jalisco, Mexico on Monday, Dec. 18.
The death of the 17-year-old comes several weeks after he insulted the notorious Mexican drug lord Rubén Oseguera Cervantes also known as "El Mencho." Authorities are now investigating a link between Rosales' death and the video.
Who Is 'El Pirata De Culiacán?'
Born in Sinaloa, Mexico, Rosales dropped out of school at the age of 15 and moved to the neighboring city of Culiacán where he washed cars for a living. It was this city that gave him the nickname "El Pirata de Culiacán," which translates to "The Pirate of Culiacán."
Rosales shot to fame after posting YouTube videos of his partying lifestyle and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. The minimum age required for consuming alcohol in Mexico is 18. However, he would upload videos of himself chugging bottles of beer and whiskey sometimes, until he blacked out.
The videos quickly went viral on social media and it wasn't long before the binge-drinking teenager became a YouTube sensation. Rosales had a huge fan following, with over 1 million followers on Facebook and about 325,000 on Instagram.
His growing popularity also earned him music video gigs as well as events to promote various alcohol products and men's clothing brands.
How Did He Insult 'El Mencho?'
In a recent video he shared on social media, an inebriated Rosales recorded himself insulting the notorious "El Mencho," which U.S. government officials have dubbed as one of Mexico's most dangerous drug lords. He is also the head of the country's fastest-growing and deadliest drug cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
"El Mencho a mí me pela la verga," Rosales said in the video, which roughly translates to "suck my c***" in English.
What Happened At The Bar?
Rosales was gunned down inside a bar in Jalisco on Monday while he was partying with his friends. According to witnesses, Rosales was the main target of the shootout, which took place at a bar called Mentados Cantaros.
Reports claim a group of armed individuals entered the bar, walked directly over to Rosales' table, and shot him dead. Authorities identified the teenager, who was shot 15 to 18 times, with the help of his tattoos.
"He opted to make a career as a broken toy of cyberspace, a path he carved out drink by drink and that left him with enemies of flesh and blood," said Univision reporter Fernando Mexía.
