[USA HERALD] – Mexican and U.S. authorities are investigating the disappearance of Nicole “La Nicholette” Pardo, a 20-year-old content creator with ties to Arizona, after a viral video surfaced that appears to show her being forcibly taken at gunpoint in broad daylight in Culiacán, Sinaloa. The case has drawn international attention because of the footage, Pardo’s sizable online following, and the broader context of escalating violence against women in the region.
According to the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office, Pardo was last seen on January 20 in the Isla Musalá neighborhood of Culiacán, the state capital in northwestern Mexico. The agency circulated a missing persons bulletin along with an official image of Pardo and confirmed that an investigation is underway. Authorities have not publicly authenticated the viral video but have acknowledged it is being reviewed as part of the case.
Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said the vehicles allegedly involved in Pardo’s disappearance are being actively tracked and that state officials immediately alerted the federal government. Speaking during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily press briefing, Harfuch said authorities would provide detailed information only once Pardo is recovered, underscoring the sensitivity of the ongoing operation.
The primary documentary record at this stage consists of the missing persons bulletin issued by the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office and public statements from Mexican federal officials. The viral video, reportedly captured by cameras mounted on Pardo’s lilac Tesla Cybertruck, appears to show several armed men forcing her into another vehicle. While widely circulated online, the footage has not yet been formally authenticated by prosecutors, and investigators have not confirmed whether it will be treated as evidentiary material.
Public records reviewed by USA Herald indicate that Pardo maintains an address in Phoenix and divides her time between Arizona and Sinaloa. USA Herald has contacted the Phoenix Police Department for comment regarding any domestic investigative involvement but has not yet received a response. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office told CNN that Mexican authorities have not requested assistance but said the office stands ready to help if asked.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed awareness of the situation and said the department is actively monitoring developments. The spokesperson did not confirm Pardo’s citizenship status but emphasized that the Trump administration considers the safety of U.S. citizens abroad a top priority and is prepared to provide consular assistance where appropriate.
Pardo is a prominent online personality with more than 180,000 followers on Instagram and over 145,000 on TikTok, in addition to presences on YouTube and OnlyFans. Her content frequently depicts aspects of her personal life, including luxury purchases and participation in local events such as the Saladazo, a motorized route through rural areas south of Culiacán. She is also referenced in the 2022 corrido “La Muchacha del Salado” by Grupo Arriesgado, a song that has accumulated more than 27 million views on YouTube.
Her disappearance comes amid heightened concern over violence against women in Sinaloa and across Mexico. Official figures from the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office show the state ended 2025 with 72 recorded femicides, the highest number in seven years and more than double the total reported in 2024. Nationally, a government registry lists approximately 132,000 disappearances since records began in 1952, with roughly 7,000 of those cases linked to Sinaloa.
