One of Mexico’s most famous investigative journalists announced his indefinite retirement after being the target of numerous threats and attacks from gunmen. The journalist had also been the target of government hostilities after Mexican prosecutors leaked his personal information to drug traffickers.
For more than 26 years, Humberto Padget has been one of Mexico’s most famous journalists and authors, focusing on organized crime and political corruption. Most recently, his work was featured on a news show and radio show with Ciro Gomez Leya, a newscaster and pundit who earned the scorn of Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for his constant criticism and exposés.
However, earlier this month, Padget announced he was retiring after years of threats, harassment, and attacks on him and his family.
The most recent attack on Padget came on September 13 in the town of Cuitzeo, Michoacan, where four gunmen intercepted him. The gunmen pointed their rifles at him and stole his vehicle, identification, and work equipment, the press freedom organization Article 19 reported.
Details of what happened during the encounter remain unknown. However, the following day, Padget announced his retirement from the news business.
According to reports from the Knight Center for Journalism, Padget had been the target of hostilities even at the hands of the government. In June, Mexico City prosecutors arrested him at one of their offices when he went to demand an explanation as to the filing away of a case where his information was leaked to drug traffickers. The investigation into the leak was connected to a prior story that Padget had done into Mexico City drug traffickers who were operating inside the UNAM (Mexico’s Autonomous University) school compound, and allegedly, someone from the government leaked Padget’s information to organized crime members who threatened and attacked him. Rather than help him or address his concerns, authorities at the time arrested him and took him before a judge who then released him and dismissed any complaints that prosecutors had filed.
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.