Mexican Journalist Who Covered Cartels Found Dead on Highway

October 27, 2025 – Mexico – 

Mexican journalist Miguel Ángel Beltrán was discovered murdered along a highway in the state of Durango on October 26, 2025. His body was wrapped in a blanket and left at the side of the road between Durango and Mazatlán, accompanied by a cardboard message accusing him of “spreading false accusations against the people of Durango.”

Beltrán had recently shifted from print to social-media journalism, posting under the TikTok handle “Capodgo7” and via his Facebook page La Gazzetta Durango. His final posts included coverage of the arrest of a gang leader from the Cabrera Sarabia gang and warnings of further violence in the region, linking activity by the gang with rival forces such as the Sinaloa Cartel faction Los Chapitos and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Durango has become a battleground between criminal factions vying for territory, and analysts say the message left with Beltrán’s body follows a familiar cartel tactic of intimidation. His death was confirmed by his employer, the local outlet Contexto Durango, and he was identified by his son.

The incident marks the seventh journalist killed in Mexico in 2025, underscoring the country’s entrenched crisis of journalist safety and impunity for crimes against media workers. Media freedom organizations highlight that many such killings go without proper investigation, fostering a climate of fear and self-censorship among reporters covering organized crime.

Beltrán’s work through social platforms such as TikTok signals the evolving nature of journalism in Mexico, where reporters are increasingly using digital channels to bypass traditional constraints—but remain exposed to the same deadly risks. The case raises urgent questions about the protection of journalists in digital spaces, especially those documenting cartel activity and corruption.

Beltrán’s killing again calls attention to the urgent need for transparent, independent investigations into justice for slain journalists in Mexico. Without effective accountability, the message to reporters is unmistakable: covering organized crime comes at the highest cost.

reference – 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/27/americas/mexico-journalist-found-dead-durango-latam-intl

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/10/27/tiktok-drug-cartel-journalist-murdered/

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2025/10/27/mexican-journalist-who-covered-drug-cartels-murdered-