Mexican authorities are searching for Nicole Pardo Molina, a 20-year-old Mexican American content creator based in Arizona, after a video circulating online appears to show her being abducted at gunpoint in Mexico on Jan. 20.
In the footage, Molina steps out of her truck as another vehicle pulls alongside. Two men get out, a brief struggle follows, and she is forced into their vehicle before it speeds away.
According to El País, the incident happened in the parking lot of a shopping center in Culiacán, a city in Mexico’s Sinaloa region.
After the abduction, Sinaloa’s Attorney General’s Office activated the Alba Protocol, a state-level mechanism used to search for missing women, and released a missing-person poster describing Molina’s physical appearance. The notice states she was last seen on Jan. 20, that her safety “may be at risk,” and that she “may be the victim of a crime.”
Molina has more than 180,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts travel content from around Mexico, and she also has a prominent profile on OnlyFans, a platform known for creators sharing adult content. She previously ran Nicholette Shop, an online store selling bracelets and clothing—some featuring references to cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
In a statement released Jan. 21, Sinaloa authorities said investigators are examining whether the kidnapping could be tied to tensions between cartel groups.
“According to initial investigations, three armed men in a stolen white vehicle threw tire spikes at the SUV the victim was traveling in, intercepted it, and then forced the victim into the car,” the statement said, as reported by El País. Authorities added that claims spreading on social media—particularly on TikTok—have pointed to the Los Mayos faction, though they said that remains part of the ongoing investigation.
Per El País, Molina was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. At the time of her kidnapping, she was living in El Salado, about 25 miles from where she was taken, and regularly traveled back to Phoenix.
Molina’s Instagram account appeared to last be updated on Dec. 22, when she posted a video filmed inside a restaurant.
