Updated on: June 12, 2026 / 6:51 AM EDT
/ CBS/AFP
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A Mexican crime reporter was shot dead on Thursday, according to the newspaper that employed him, marking the latest killing in one of the world's most dangerous countries for the press. Meanwhile, a search continues for another journalist who was abducted from her home in the same region last week.The eastern coastal state of Veracruz is plagued by drug violence and is considered a particularly high-risk region for journalists.Luis Angel Lopez Valdez had already received threats due to his reporting, and local authorities had taken measures to protect him, the Vanguardia newspaper said on social media."Lopez Valdez was killed early Thursday morning in (the city of) Poza Rica, after being intercepted by armed men while driving," an article published on its website stated.The publication called for "justice" so that the reporter's death "does not go unpunished."Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to practice journalism, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In a report released in December, RSF said at least nine journalists were killed in 2025 in Mexico, which was the second most dangerous country in the world for reporters last year.The organization, which recorded more than 150 journalists killed in Mexico since 1994, called for an "urgent investigation and stronger safeguards for the press."
