Gunmen Kill Journalist in Eastern Mexico

Gunmen on Thursday shot dead a journalist, Carlos Castro, in eastern Mexico, local media reported. 

According to Mexican media and the State Commission for the Attention and Protection of Journalists, an autonomous body under the regional government, the victim, Castro, was a crime reporter with local news outlet Código Norte Veracruz. 

Digital news platform Record reported that Castro was attacked while at a restaurant in Poza Rica, a city in the violence-prone state of Veracruz. No arrests had been made as of Thursday.

The state commission condemned the killing and called for a comprehensive investigation, urging authorities to ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.

Mexico remains one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says more than 150 journalists have been killed in the country since 1994.

Veracruz, which lies along the Gulf of Mexico, has long been affected by violence linked to organised criminal groups battling for control of major drug-trafficking routes.