The kidnapping of influencer Nicole Pardo Molina, also known as “La Nicholette,” has shocked the binational community of Mexico and the United States, as the content creator shared residency between Culiacán, Sinaloa, city where she was abducted, and Phoenix, Arizona, her place of origin.
According to multiple media reports, Pardo Molina was intercepted in the residential area of Isla Musala in Culiacán, Sinaloa by three individuals in a white car—one of them with his face covered and a long gun in hand—during the afternoon of Jan. 20 at around 5 p.m. local time.
La Fiscalía General del Estado de Sinaloa emitió una ficha de búsqueda para localizar a Nicole Pardo Molina, creadora de contenido conocida como “La Nicholette”, quien fue privada de la libertad este martes 20 de enero en Culiacán.
The incident was captured by the camera of Pardo Molina’s purple Tesla Cybertruck. The footage began circulating on social media shortly after the abduction, sparking concern and, to this day, leaving the unresolved question of the influencer’s whereabouts.
Ties and roots in Phoenix, Arizona
La Nicholette, 25, boasts 180,000 followers on Instagram and more than 140,000 on TikTok – platforms where she shares lifestyle content, including her businesses and luxury cars. Pardo Molina also creates content on Twitch, Snapchat, YouTube, and OnlyFans.
The influencer, daughter of Mexican parents, is originally from Phoenix, where she spends portions of the year, according to multiple reports. Pardo Molina previously operated a retail business in the city called nicholette.shop, where she sold bracelets, sunglasses, T-shirts, and hats—some featuring imagery associated with drug trafficking groups, including embroidered portraits of some of their leaders, among them, the former drug lord and top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera.
Pardo Molina rose to fame in 2023 after the musical group Grupo Arriesgado wrote a “corrido” in her honor titled “La Muchacha del Salado” (The Lady from El Salado), which has gained more than 23 million views on YouTube. A corrido is a traditional Mexican music genre that consists of sung stories accompanied by instruments like guitars and accordions. Corridos often recount historical events and social commentary, but are also widely used to feature the stories of figures from drug cartels.
The Mexican American influencer currently resides in Culiacán, city where she recently opened a hat shop at a shopping plaza in Isla Musala neighborhood, one of Culiacán’s most exclusive areas. According to reports, the products sold at Pardo Molina’s business have included imagery linked to former drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
What are the latest updates?
Following Pardo Molina’s interception on Tuesday, both police officers and the Mexican army were deployed in an operation in the area where the incident occurred. The Sinaloa State Attorney General’s Office released the search bulletin for Pardo Molina, noting that “her safety may be at risk, as she could be a victim of a crime.”
There have been no developments in the case, and the search continues amid uncertainty and concern from the influencer’s following and other social media users who demand immediate action and results from state authorities.
Reach out to La Voz reporter Paula Soria via email: paula.soriaaguilar@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix influencer missing, who Is La Nicholette kidnapped in Mexico?