Chaka Rodriguez's Wife, Family Received Death Threats After Mexico's Loss to USMNT

The family of Mexico international Chaka Rodriguez received death threats following El Tri's 2-0 defeat to the United States last Friday.

On Instagram Live, Rodriguez shared an exchange he had with one person who had sent intimidating messages to his wife.

"I ask you please not to write anymore to my wife, to rape and kill are very cruel words," he wrote (via ESPN's Adriana Garcia). "Miguel, we don't deserve this, least of all to include family. I hope this is over now. May God bless you."

The threats were apparently made after Mexico slipped to second in CONCACAF's 2022 World Cup qualifying standings. Rodriguez started at right-back and played 90 minutes, receiving a yellow card in the 68th minute.

The 30-year-old has also made 14 appearances for Tigres in Liga MX's Apertura campaign.

Social media has afforded fans more access to athletes than they've ever had. An unintended consequence is that fans also know exactly how to reach athletes and their loved ones.

In February, English soccer officials wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey regarding a need to quell "offensive abuse from users of your services aimed at footballers and match officials." They added the social media platforms "remain havens for abuse."

"Your inaction has created the belief in the minds of the anonymous perpetrators that they are beyond reach," the letter read. "The relentless flow of racist and discriminatory messages feeds on itself: the more it is tolerated by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, platforms with billions of users, the more it becomes normal, accepted behaviour."