Journalist on assignment shot dead in Mexico

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 12 years ago

MEXICO CITY: A freelance journalist and his companion were shot to death Wednesday in the central Mexican state of Puebla shortly after the reporter had gathered information on a large-scale gasoline theft and then witnessed a stand-off between soldiers and gunmen, according to news reports and interviews conducted by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

"In many areas of Mexico, reporters put their lives at risk every time they go out on assignment. These brazen murders are yet another example of the violent and lawless conditions in which journalists work," Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas, said from New York. "Mexican authorities must fully investigate these murders and bring those responsible to justice."

News reports and local journalists identified the slain journalist as Adrián Silva Moreno, who covered the local police beat for several small newspapers. Eloísa Rodríguez Zamora, a local radio reporter, said Silva had been covering an army investigation into the theft of gasoline from a government petroleum company in the town of Tehuacán. Theft of gasoline from government pipelines is common in the area, which is controlled by organized crime groups, according to local journalists.

After leaving the scene, Silva called Rodríguez to say he had seen an armed stand-off between soldiers at a nearby roadblock and gunmen in an SUV and a Ford Lobo pickup truck, she said. It was unclear if the confrontation was related to the gasoline theft. She said that Silva told her that he had found something very important at the scene of the theft but would explain later. Six minutes later, Rodríguez said, she heard from police reports that a man had been shot at that location.

Silva was shot as he sat in the driver's seat, local journalists told CPJ. His passenger, Misray López González, ran for a block but was also shot to death, the journalists said.

More here

Explore Further

Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for three-and-a-half years over 'extremism' charges

 November 01, 2025: Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.

Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran found murdered; CPJ demands justice

 November 01, 2025: Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.

One in three media lawyers unable to defend journalists, UNESCO survey finds

 November 01, 2025: UNESCO survey finds one-third of media lawyers cannot effectively defend journalists due to threats, limited resources, and lack of specialization.

Radio Free Asia suspends news operations amid US funding freeze

 October 31, 2025: Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.

Senegal 7TV Director Maimouna Ndour Faye arrested in live broadcast raid

 October 30, 2025: CDEPS and CPJ condemn the arrest of 7TV’s Maimouna Ndour Faye and other journalists in a late October crackdown on Senegalese media over interviews with a wanted politician.

CPJ slams Turkey’s seizure of TELE1, calls for journalist’s release

 October 29, 2025: CPJ calls on Turkey to release journalist Merdan Yanardag and return control of TELE1, after his arrest on espionage charges and state media takeover.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour reveals recurrence of ovarian cancer

 October 26, 2025: CNN’s Christiane Amanpour reveals her ovarian cancer has returned but says it’s being well-managed, urging greater awareness and early diagnosis.

Two Ukrainian journalists killed in Russian drone strike in Kramatorsk

 October 23, 2025: Two Ukrainian journalists were killed in a Russian drone strike in Kramatorsk. FREEDOM TV’s Alyona Gramova and Yevgeny Karmazin died while reporting.