Mexican Reporter Kidnapped, Tortured, and Executed by Drug Gangs
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The newspaper Zócalo Saltillo, Coahuila, announced through its website that its reporter Valentin Valdes Espinosa was executed today after being kidnapped last night with two other Zócalo journalists by unidentified assailants.
Upon completing his shift, at approximately 22:45 hours, Valentin Valdes, began driving his car, with two other reporters, towards Boulevard Venustiano Carranza when a group of unknown individuals, traveling in two trucks, intercepted them.
In that place, the assailants left one of the journalists and forced the other two into a truck. About two hours later the other unidentified reporter was released after being badly beaten, and shortly later the body of Valdes Espinosa was found with a warning sign, whose content has just recently been made public by the General Attorney, on his chest.
The body of Valentín Valdes Espinosa was found bound and gagged with signs of cartel inflicted torture shortly after midnight Friday in front of the Marbella Hotel along with a narco-message stating: This is what happens to those who don't understand. He had been shot five times.
Valdes Espinosa was one of the founders of Zócalo Saltillo reporters since the newspaper began publishing June 13, 2008. Previously, he had worked for over six years for the newspaper "Word" of Grupo Reforma.
According to authorities, at this time, there is no further information as to the whereabouts of the reporter who accompanied Valdes Espinosa and is still listed as missing, or details of who it is that was spared abduction.
“The murder of Valentín Valdés Espinosa follows an upsurge in violence against the Mexico media that has cost two lives and one disappearance in a three-week period. Mexican journalists find themselves terrorized by this wave of lethal violence that is barring them from reporting the news. We urge the authorities to put an end to this vicious cycle by vigorously investigating Valdés’ slaying and by bringing those responsible to justice.”- Carlos Lauría, Committee to Protect Journalist senior program coordinator for the Americas
Valdes Espinosa, 28, is the third journalist slain or kidnapped in Mexico in the last 18 days. On Dec. 22, newspaper publisher Alberto Velasquez, from the resort town of Tulum, was shot to death by gunmen on a motorcycle. On Dec. 30, veteran crime reporter Jose Luis Romero was seized by masked men in Los Mochis, in the drug-center state of Sinaloa. He's not been seen since. Hours after his disappearance, the lead detective on the case was slain.
