Journalist Luis Ángel López Valdez was shot to death in the municipality of Poza Rica, Veracruz, becoming the second communicator murdered in that city during 2026, and a new blow to freedom of expression in the entity.

López Valdez, 29, worked as a police reporter for Vanguardia de Veracruz and directed the portal Reportaje Policiaco Veracruzano.

In addition, he collaborated with the Cruz Ámbar relief corporation. According to the first reports, he was attacked by armed men while he was driving his vehicle.

Various media and organizations indicated that the journalist had received previous threats related to his reporting work and had protection measures granted by the State Commission for the Care and Protection of Journalists (CEAPP), which were in force at the time of his murder.

The Attorney General's Office of the State of Veracruz reported that it opened an investigation to clarify the homicide and determine if there is a direct relationship with his journalistic work. So far no arrests have been reported.

The crime occurs in a context of growing concern for the safety of communicators in Veracruz. Just a week before, the disappearance of journalist Roxana Berenice Guzmán Ramírez, director of a digital media in the south of the state, was reported, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Organizations defending freedom of expression, including Article 19 and the MX Media Alliance, condemned the murder and demanded an exhaustive investigation that considers their journalistic activity as a possible line of investigation, in addition to reinforcing protection mechanisms for journalists in Veracruz.

With this case, Veracruz is once again at the center of alerts for violence against the press, a problem that for years has affected journalists who cover security and organized crime issues in the entity.