What Happened to TikTok “Narco Queen” Sabrina Durán Montero?
Reports suggest that the “narco influencer” had earned her “narco” reputation after being executed in public. While the investigation is still ongoing, here is everything we know about Sabrina’s horrific death.
Source: X
In a chilling video recorded by a bystander, Durán was shown lying face down in the middle of the street in Santiago on Tuesday morning after being shot by a masked assailant.
Who Murdered Durán?
At least two people, dressed in black clothing and wearing masks, opened fire on Montero as she sat in a car on the morning of October 24. The identity of the hitman is unknown at this time.
Source: TikTok
The killers drove away with the vehicles, which were later found burnt about half an hour’s drive away in Quilicura. Durán was rushed to a local hospital, where it was reported that she had at least eight gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, due to the excessive wounds, the doctors were unable to save Durán’s life.
Who Was TikTok “Narco Queen” Sabrina Durán Montero?
Sabrina Durán Montero was a 24-year-old Chilean TikToker who has often promoted beauty products since 2012. On October 30, she uploaded a video reviewing items she received from DCM cosmetics. DCM Cosmetic owner Chanel Morales told LUN newspaper (via Daily Mail) that she looked past Durán’s troubled background.
Source: TikTok
“I looked to her because she has many followers,” Morales said to LUN newspaper. “She attracted a lot of attention on TikTok because she was the Narco Queen, a bad girl, but her appearance and voice demonstrated the opposite. She was very sweet. She liked to support virtual small and medium companies.”
Why Was She Shot?
According to local media reports, Durán was a well-known local drug trafficker who went by the alias “La Ina.” Local authorities believe that her killing may have been motivated by a rival drug gang looking to settle scores in the Santiago area.
Source: TikTok
Local police chief Leonel Muñoz said that Durán “had a criminal record, specifically for receiving stolen vehicles and drug trafficking, and had been released from serving a sentence approximately a month ago.” No other information about who or why was provided to the public.
Durán’s Criminal Past
Reportedly, Durán was on parole at the time of her death. The “Narco Queen” was arrested in 2022 on charges that she was a leader of a local drug gang, and was sentenced to three years for drug trafficking.
Source: TikTok
Durán attempted to escape prison by jumping from the third floor with other inmates before they were all captured. Durán was released sometime before 2023.
She Kept Posting While in Prison
Durán kept on posting videos while in the Women’s Penitentiary Center in San Miguel. Phones inside prisons have been a long term problem for Chile. Prison guards have seized nearly 20,000 mobile phones this year from an inmate population of 49,000.
Source: The Clinic
With cases like Durán’s, guards quickly move in and seize the phone. However, when a gang leader is involved, extra precautions are taken among the other inmates to conceal the identity of the phone’s owner and blame someone lower in the prison hierarchy.
Durán Was on Parole
Sabrina and two of her brothers were arrested at the beginning of 2023 on suspicion of supplying, distributing, and trafficking cannabis, cocaine, MDMA, and magic mushrooms.
Source: TikTok
While she was incarcerated, Sabrina apparently began a relationship with Antonella Marchant, the leader of the Los Marchant gang who was arrested in 2021 and is currently spending 15 years in prison. Durán was released in May 2023.
What Was Sabrina Durán Montero’s Last TikTok?
Sabrina Duran Montero’s final TikTok video, recorded just before she was fatally shot, has over five million views. The influencer is wearing a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and gold jewelry while showcasing hair products in the video.
Source: TikTok
After her murder, the video comments filled up with farewells and well wishes for the young woman who went by “Juakina Gusman” on TikTok, a reference to Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman, the former Sinaloa Cartel boss.
Why Was She Famous on TikTok?
According to El Pais, sociologist Rodrigo Ganter, author of a book on Chile’s transnational narcoculture, says that drugs now “have a major influence on the preferences, aesthetics, role models and aspirations of specific social groups.”
Source: TikTok
Durán continued posting on TikTok, even behind bars, sharing urban-reggaeton dances and songs as “The Narcos Queen of Peñaflor,” a nickname she earned as the leader of a criminal gang in the Santiago suburb of Peñaflor.
Sabrina Durán Montero Led an “Aspirational Life”
According to Pilar Lizana, a security specialist at Chile’s AthenaLab research center, young people often look up to individuals like Durán, who represent a world of power, quick wealth, stolen luxury cars and guns.
Source: TikTok
“Chileans often blame foreign criminals like the Tren de Aragua [the largest criminal organization in Venezuela], but Ina reminds us that we have our own drug bosses, including women. Her prison videos dancing reggaeton wearing flashy jewelry shows the power she held over government institutions,” says Lizana.
What Were Her TikToks About?
Fortunately, none of Durán’s TikToks featured her alleged work trafficking drugs. Instead, the videos showed Durán’s accumulated wealth through clothing, brand deals, and music inspired by her life as a leader of a drug gang.
Source: TikTok
As of now, Sabrina has more than 600,000 followers. Her account gained popularity after the news of her death, with the comments filling with viewers expressing their well-wishes to Durán’s surviving family, which includes her 10-year-old son.
The Story Surrounding the Death of TikTok’s “Narco Queen” Is Still Developing
The story around Durán’s murder is still developing. The two hitmen who shot Durán are still at large, with no leads at this time. Durán’s association with gang affiliations and large online presence seem to be direct causes of her death.
Source: TikTok
Durán’s funeral will be held soon in Peñaflor, and has been labeled a high-risk event by the authorities. A special police unit will be deployed to maintain security at the extravagant funeral.