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."

"As the country opened the 2026 @FIFAWorldCup, journalist Luis Angel Lopez Valdez of Vanguardia de Veracruz was murdered," RSF wrote on X.

Freedom of expression monitor Article 19 called for a "diligent and expeditious" investigation into Lopez Valdez's death.

Journalist Carlos Castro was also shot dead in Veracruz in January.

Journalist Roxana Guzman kidnapped

Meanwhile, a search continues after two men recently broke into the home of journalist Roxana Guzman, director of the digital news site Pulso Informativo, and kidnapped her, in an incident captured in a chilling video recording.  The footage shows armed assailants breaking through the front door before entering the house and threatening Guzman.

Her whereabouts remain unknown.

The Veracruz State Attorney General's Office confirmed that prosecutors, forensic experts and investigative police officers were looking for the journalist. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that both federal and state authorities are handling the case.

According to RSF, Guzman's partner, Carlos Fernández Escalante, was shot dead in 2017.

Mexico had its deadliest year for journalists in 2022, with 13 killings, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Article 19.

A 2024 report report by the CPJ and Amnesty International showed that Mexico fails in its efforts to provide state-sanctioned protection to members of the press. "Impunity is the norm in crimes against the press," the groups said.