Three Journalists and Two Relatives Abducted in Mexico, Silvia Nayssa Arce and Alberto Sánchez Among Victims

Mexico City – Prosecutors have confirmed that armed men abducted three journalists and two of their relatives in the violence-plagued state of Mexico. This incident comes as press groups warn that Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, outside of war zones.

The abductions took place in Taxco, a colonial town popular among tourists, between Sunday and Wednesday. A journalist, along with his wife and adult son, was kidnapped on Sunday, while a husband-and-wife journalist team was abducted on Wednesday.

Earlier this year, the online news site The Afternoon Chronicle reported that its journalist, Marco Antonio Toledo, had received threats from a drug cartel, prohibiting him from publishing a story. Toledo had recently exposed a case of local corruption. The news site has called on authorities to find him, stating that the area has been silenced by drug cartels.

According to the press freedom group Article 19, Toledo, his wife, and son were forcibly taken from their home by at least five armed individuals on Sunday and have not been heard from since. The kidnapped journalist couple has been identified as Silvia Nayssa Arce and Alberto Sánchez, who worked for another online news site called RedSiete.

Taxco, known for its silver artisanry and colonial architecture, has become a battleground for drug gangs vying for control over extortion money from local businesses. Turf battles between the violent La Familia Michoacana cartel and the Tlacos gang have intensified in recent years.

This incident marks one of the largest mass attacks on journalists in Mexico since 2012, when the bodies of three news photographers were found dumped in plastic bags in the city of Veracruz. The killings were attributed to the Zetas drug cartel. Last week, a photographer in Ciudad Juarez became the fifth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year.

Over the past five years, at least 54 journalists have been killed in Mexico, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The situation highlights the urgent need for greater protection and security for journalists in the country.