Full Breakdown
Journalist Josué Martínez Contreras Killed in Drive-by Shooting in Puebla
7/18/2026, 8:55:57 AM
The Fatal Attack
On July 17, 2026, 39-year-old journalist Josué Martínez Contreras was shot dead near his home in San Martín Texmelucan, Puebla. Two motorcyclists opened fire at approximately 8 a.m., striking Martínez while he was with his 13-year-old son. Local reports say the assailants fled the scene. Martínez was the director of the Facebook-based news outlet Noticias San Martín Texmelucan, which had more than 155,000 followers, and was known for reporting on public-fund management and local institutional conduct.
Context of Violence Against the Mexican Press
Mexico remains one of the world’s most hazardous environments for journalists. Reporters Without Borders recorded nine journalist killings in 2025, ranking the country second-most dangerous for reporters that year. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented 13 journalist murders in 2022, the deadliest year in recent memory. A 2024 CPJ-Amnesty International report concluded that Mexico consistently fails to provide state-sanctioned protection for media workers, noting that “impunity is the norm in crimes against the press.”
Official Responses
The Puebla state government publicly condemned the killing and pledged a thorough investigation. The state prosecutor’s office issued a statement promising a “reinforced focus on the protection of journalists, and all lines of investigation will be exhausted.” Municipal mayor Juan Manuel Alonso posted a brief statement on the town’s X account condemning the death and offering support to Martínez’s family. Article 19, a journalists’ advocacy group, called for an urgent investigation into the motive.
Press-Freedom Groups’ Criticism
Press-freedom organizations have denounced the pattern of attacks. RSF urged the government to “urgently address violence against the press,” while CPJ’s Mexico representative highlighted the broader trend, describing the incident as part of “one of the deadliest years in recent memory for the Mexican press.” Both groups stress that repeated failures to prosecute perpetrators embolden further assaults.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The case will be investigated with a reinforced focus on the protection of journalists, and all lines of investigation will be exhausted,” — Puebla State Prosecutor’s Office
- “Impunity is the norm in crimes against the press,” — Reporters Without Borders statement
- “Eight months before his murder, the journalist stated in a video broadcast by the news outlet A Tiempo Noticias that a local authority had threatened him over the phone.” — Josué Martínez Contreras, video broadcast (August 2025)
- “In the same video, he said that attempts were being made to silence him and that he would continue reporting on these issues.” — Josué Martínez Contreras, video broadcast (August 2025)
- “The brutal killing of Josué Martínez, in front of his child and in broad daylight, is the fourth such deadly attack on a Mexican journalist in just over four weeks in what is rapidly becoming one of the deadliest years in recent memory for the Mexican press,” — Jan-Albert Hootsen, CPJ Mexico representative
