Criminal Group Accused Of Killing Mexican Journalist for 'Spreading False Accusations'

For more than a decade, Mexico has been considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. So far in 2025, seven journalists have been killed, the highest number since 2022, when 12 journalists were murdered.

The most recent case involved Miguel Ángel Beltrán, who was killed in the state of Durango on Oct. 25 after being targeted by a criminal group, according to evidence. Beltrán, known for covering crime-related issues on social media, was found with a message near his body that read, "For spreading false accusations against the people of Durango."

Beltrán's body was found along a highway connecting Durango with Mazatlán, in the neighboring state of Sinaloa. In his last video posted online, he reported on criminal groups operating in the region, suggesting he may have been targeted for his investigative work.

On Oct. 22, Beltrán reported the arrest of a leader of a crime cell called the Cabrera Sarabia, which operates in Durango and is a rival of the powerful Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels.

According to Reporters Without Borders, there is no evidence that Beltrán had reported threats or was enrolled in Mexico's Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, which provides state protection for those considered at risk.

Beltrán's murder adds to a troubling pattern in Durango. Since 2009, at least three other journalists have been killed in the state for carrying out their work, the organization reported.

"The murder of Miguel Ángel Beltrán Martínez represents a new blow to the press in Durango and to the right to freedom of information in Mexico," said Artur Romeu, director of Reporters Without Borders' Latin America office. "We call on authorities to prioritize investigations linked to his journalistic work and to identify and prosecute both the perpetrators and intellectual authors of the crime. We reiterate our call for the Mexican state to break the cycle of violence and impunity suffocating local journalism and to guarantee justice and protection, especially in a year that has been so deadly for the press," Romeu added.

The nine journalists killed in Mexico so far in 2025 represent the highest number since 12 were murdered in 2022. According to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Mexico ranks 121 out of 180 countries, making it the most dangerous country for journalists in Latin America.

Media workers continue to be regularly targeted across Mexico, often in direct reprisal for reporting on corruption or cartel activity.

Another violent case occurred in July, when Pedro Ronald Paz, a municipal law enforcement officer and journalist, was fatally shot 17 times minutes after reporting on an unfinished public works project in Acapulco, Guerrero.

Just 15 minutes before his death, Paz streamed a live video on Facebook showing the incomplete construction site in the Progreso neighborhood. He criticized local officials for abandoning the project, noting that rubble and large stones posed hazards to pedestrians.

"Unfortunately, the municipal government came to tear up part of the street," he said. "But as you can see, they left behind the rubble, and there's no sign of progress. People walking here could easily fall into this hole. They just came and made a mess."