Who was El Pirata de Culiacán and why was he killed?

• Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales had a short and tragic life.
• The young man, better known as El Pirata de Culiacán, was murdered on December 18, 2017 in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
• Today, many don’t know why he was murdered.

For many, the name Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales may not mean anything, but when the name El Pirata de Culiacán is mentioned, everything changes. This nickname is associated with a tragic life that came to an abrupt end on December 18, 2017 in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. But why was he killed?

At a time when just a few videos were beginning to go viral on social media, this young man’s posts were known for frequently showing him getting drunk and enjoying parties in the company of women and «friends.» He was widely associated with the drug world.

El Pirata de Culiacán left his home at a very young age

El Pirata de Culiacán once gave an interview, which El Siglo de Torreon revisited, where he confessed that he had left his home when he was just 15 years old. He did all kinds of jobs to help his grandmother, who took care of him until before his tragic death.

Many people hated him for setting a bad example by appearing under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Others were delighted with his personality and he was even invited to appear in videos by several popular bands.

A ‘joke’ that would end badly

El Pirata de Culiacán probably never imagined what one of his many «jokes» would provoke because, in what would become the last video he ever shared, he can clearly be heard mocking Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, better known as El Mencho.

It didn’t take long for this video to go viral and, soon after, the young man was shot inside the Mentaros Cantaros bar, located in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Internet users believed that this Pirata de Culiacán’s boldness ended up costing him his life.

Did El Pirata de Culiacán cause a musician’s death?

What few people were aware of is that Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales, better known as El Pirata de Culiacán, was also hired to entertain at live events. In one of them, organized in a bar in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, things simply got out of control.

It was on the first weekend of July 2017 that El Pirata provoked the audience while a Sinaloa band was playing. The audience began to throw objects at the stage and the musicians responded to their attacks. One person died in that incident. El Pirata de Culiacán said that he had nothing to do with the public’s reaction.

El Pirata de Culiacán wanted to be part of the drug trafficking world

Just a few months ago, María Rosales Torres, El Pirata de Culiacán’s grandmother, gave a revealing interview where, among other things, she confirmed that the young man wanted to be part of the drug trafficking world but it was not possible. And, although in his videos he boasted a life of luxury, neither her nor other members of her family have any money.

“El Mencho s*cks my….” This was the phrase that El Pirata, barely 17 years old, uttered to seal his fate. Today, almost five years after his cruel murder, he’s remembered as a YouTuber who rose to fame for «showing off» a lifestyle that did not lead to anything good.