Mexico journalist Josue Martinez killed in drive-by shooting in Puebla

Puebla state officials condemned the killing of Josué Martínez and pressed prosecutors to open an investigation after the journalist was shot dead in a drive-by attack in San Lucas Atoyatenco. Martínez, known locally as “El Jaguar,” directed the digital publication Noticias San Martín Texmelucan, which covered security and major local events in the Puebla area.

Martínez was identified as the head of Noticias San Martín Texmelucan, a site tied closely to local reporting in San Martín Texmelucan, where he was also described in some coverage as a teacher and activist. Broadcast reporting said he sustained three gunshot wounds in the attack. Other accounts placed the shooting in the community of San Lucas Atoyatenco, near where Martínez lived.

Article 19, the press freedom group, called for his death to be investigated. The state government also called on prosecutors to pursue the case and identify those responsible. The response underscores a familiar pattern in Mexico, where attacks on journalists too often move into the public record faster than they move through the justice system.

Martínez’s killing adds to the toll on reporters in a country that remains one of the world’s most dangerous places for the press. The danger is especially acute for local journalists who cover crime, corruption and politics in smaller cities and towns, where they are often known by name in the communities they report on and face risks without the protection that comes with national visibility.

One report said the number of journalists killed during the AMLO presidency had reached 47 after a separate killing in Guanajuato, a figure that reflects how persistent the violence has become. Martínez’s death now joins a long list of crimes against the press in Mexico that continue to test the credibility of authorities and the state’s ability to deliver justice when reporters are targeted.