Mexican Journalist Gunned Down After Photographing Crime Scene

Gunmen shot and killed a Mexican journalist after he photographed a crime scene, marking the ninth case of its kind in 2020.

The murder took place this week in the state of Zacatecas, when Jaime Castano Zacarias responded to the location of two dumped bodies. According to El Universal, authorities suspect that organized crime members are likely to blame. After Castano finished photographing the scene and was leaving, gunmen tracked him down, shot him several times, and stole his camera equipment. Castano published an online news outlet called PrensaLibremx.com and also worked at the press office in the City of Jerez.

Soon after the murder, the international press freedom group Article 19 expressed outrage and asked that state authorities solve the murder.

ARTICLE 19 documenta el asesinato del periodista y urge a @gobiernozac y a @FiscaliaZac actuar conforme a los estándares del Protocolo Homologado de Investigación de Delitos contra la Libertad Expresión, tomando como prioridad la labor de Jaime Castaño.

— ARTICLE 19 MX-CA (@article19mex) December 11, 2020

The murder comes one month after gunmen in Guanajuato shot and killed Israel Vasquez Rangel from El Salmantino as he was preparing to livestream a crime scene. In that case, Vasquez responded to a tip about a dismembered body and beat police to the location.

Mexico is labeled by several press freedom groups as one of the most dangerous places for journalists to practice in the world, where most of the murders and attacks go unsolved.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.