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Crime Reporter Carlos Castro Shot Dead in Poza Rica, Veracruz

Federal officials say his 2024 state protection had lapsed after he left Veracruz.

Overview

  • Unidentified gunmen entered the TrogueBirria restaurant in Poza Rica on January 8 and fatally shot Castro before fleeing, according to initial police reports.
  • Castro directed the local outlet Código Norte Veracruz and covered security and crime for regional media in the state's north.
  • The Veracruz state prosecutor’s office opened a homicide investigation, conducted forensic work at the scene, and transferred the body to the medical examiner.
  • SEGOB and the national security ministry said they are coordinating with Veracruz authorities and Castro’s family to support the probe, and no arrests had been reported in initial coverage.
  • Press‑freedom groups including RSF, Artículo 19, and the CEAPP condemned the killing and urged investigators to treat his journalistic work as a primary line of inquiry in a state long perilous for the press.