Mexican Journalist Miguel Ángel Beltrán Found Murdered in Durango

A Mexican journalist who reported on drug trafficking was found murdered Saturday along a highway connecting Durango with Mazatlan, officials confirmed today.

Miguel Ángel Beltrán, who previously worked in print and more recently covered crime-related issues on social media platforms including TikTok and Facebook under the handles “Capo” and “La Gazzetta Durango,” was discovered with a message near his body stating, “For spreading false accusations against the people of Durango.” The Durango state prosecutor’s office confirmed Beltrán’s death to AFP. His last published report, on October 22, detailed the arrest of a leader from the Cabrera Sarabia gang, a criminal organization operating in Durango and rival to the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartels.

Mexico remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, with over 150 media workers killed since 1994, according to Reporters Without Borders. The escalating violence against journalists underscores the risks faced by those reporting on organized crime and corruption in the region. A recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists noted a record number of journalists were killed globally in 2024, including five in Mexico, following a particularly deadly 2022 with 13 killings.

Impunity remains a significant issue in crimes against the press in Mexico, with the vast majority of killings and abductions remaining unsolved, and state-sanctioned protection for journalists proving inadequate. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Beltrán’s death and have not yet announced any arrests.