Teen YouTube Star Shot Dead After Insulting Mexican Cartel Boss

A Mexican YouTube star was found dead after he apparently insulted a notorious cartel boss on social media, officials said.

Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales, known as “The Pirate of Culiacan,” was featured in videos showing him drinking lots of alcohol. Some social media posts showed him standing near scantily clad women, sports cars, or large amounts of marijuana.

In a video, Rosales appears to insult Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” who is the chief of the New Generation Cartel of Jalisco, reported The New York Post. The crude insult involved his groin area.

Four men armed with long guns then stormed into a bar and shot at Rosales, 17, reported El Pais. He was shot 15 to 18 times, according to reports. Investigators are not sure whether the shooting is connected to Rosales’ insults online. El Diablo reported that he also invited people to visit a bar where he frequented, as noted by the NY Post.

Mexican newspaper Periodico Supremo posted the video that may have led to his death on Twitter, showing him insulting the cartel leader “Así firmó su trato de muerte,” the newspaper wrote, meaning, “So he signed his death warrant.”

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho," is a wanted cartel leader. Mexican Navy

Cervantes, a former Jalisco state police officer, has been described as one of the most dangerous drug lords in Mexico. He once served three years in prison in a U.S. prison for selling heroin, Rolling Stone reported.

He’s now the top cartel boss sought by American authorities. “It was Chapo,” a DEA source told the magazine earlier this year. “Now it’s Mencho.”

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes US Treasury Department / Foreign Assets Control

His cartel has also carried out a string of exceptionally violent murders---even by cartel standards.

“This is ISIS stuff,” said one DEA agent. “The manner in which they kill people, the sheer numbers – it’s unparalleled even in Mexico.”