- Mexican journalist killed while under police protection
- Martínez was shot by unknown gunmen while travelling with two security guards
- Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with over 150 media workers killed since 1994
- Authorities reported that the attackers fired from a pickup truck, hitting Martínez in the head
Mexican journalist killed while under police protection
Alejandro Martínez, a Mexican journalist known for reporting on violent crime, was killed while under police protection in Guanajuato. Martínez, also known as “The Son of the Lone Ranger,” was shot by unknown gunmen while travelling with two security guards. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with over 150 media workers killed since 1994, according to Reporters Without Borders. Martínez, in his 50s, operated a popular news outlet on Facebook with over 340,000 followers and had been under protection since surviving a previous attack in 2022.
Authorities reported that the attackers fired from a pickup truck, hitting Martínez in the head. His bodyguards returned fire but couldn’t save him. A woman in a nearby car was also wounded by a stray bullet.
Alejandro Martínez Noguez, conocido como “El Llanero”, era uno de los reporteros más influyentes en Celaya, Guanajuato.
— 𝙍𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙨 𝙁𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙨 (@rbarriosfuentes) August 4, 2024
Hoy fue asesinado a tiros, pese a que tenía 2 escoltas.
En el 2021 lo entrevistamos y fue demoledor.
Qué rabia y tristeza en lo que se convirtió Celaya. pic.twitter.com/BDvRdjrnmR
Martínez had expressed deep sorrow over the increasing violence in the region. Balbina Flores from Reporters Without Borders in Mexico described him as a journalist “at risk,” supported by a federal protection program for reporters facing death threats.
This incident follows other recent attacks on journalists in Mexico, including the wounding of Federico Hans in Sonora and the death of Víctor Culebro in Chiapas.