TIJUANA, Mexico — Three suspects were arrested Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of veteran Tijuana reporter Lourdes Maldonado López.
Maldonado was shot to death in her car Jan. 23 with a single gunshot to the face. She was the second journalist killed within a week in the city. On Jan. 17, Margarito Martínez Esquivel, who worked as a journalist and “fixer” assisting international outlets as well as for The San Diego Union-Tribune and Los Angeles Times, was shot three times outside his Tijuana home.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed the arrests Wednesday morning at a news conference.
López Obrador, who was accompanied by his national secretary and sub-secretary of public safety, said the arrests were the result of a joint investigation that included the federal government and Baja California state investigators.
“We are obliged to ensure that there is justice in the country and that impunity is not allowed,” he said.
The three individuals were arrested Tuesday in Baja California. The group allegedly arrived to Maldonado’s neighborhood in a taxi three hours before the shooting, lying in wait for the journalist to arrive at her home, according to Mexico’s sub-secretary of public safety, Ricardo Mejía.
Mejía called the suspects “presumed material co-authors,” but did not elaborate on the murder. He gave reporters a detailed account of the taxi’s movements, supported by video surveillance and photos, during the news conference.
Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Mexico’s secretary of public safety, said the arrests and search warrants were issued in an investigation that involved the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Security, the Navy, National Anti-Kidnapping Coordination and the National Intelligence Center.
At a local news conference later Wednesday morning, Baja California Attorney General Ricardo Iván Carpio Sánchez said investigators may still be looking for other individuals. “It is not ruled out that there may be more (people) involved,” Carpio said.
Authorities said they have not yet found evidence that the motive for the killing was tied to Maldonado’s journalism.
As is the custom in Mexico, authorities announced only the first names of the suspects who were arrested. Their names and ages were given as: Guillermo N., 18; Kevin N., 22; and Erick N., 22.
One of the three suspects had a prior criminal record, according to Carpio. He did not specify which one.
The death of Maldonado, 68, ignited a national movement condemning violence against the press. She had publicly requested protection from López Obrador, citing a legal issue she had with former governor of Baja California, Jaime Bonilla, who belongs to the same ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) party as the president. In 2019, Maldonado told López Obrador at a news conference: “I fear for my life.”
Carpio said Wednesday that authorities have not ruled out the possibility that Bonilla will be called to testify because of the wage dispute and a court ruling in Maldonado’s favor.
State authorities also said progress had been made in investigating the homicide of Martínez, but that no one had been detained.
“His case is being given the same (full investigation) as Lourdes Maldonado and we hope we will have similar results,” Carpio said.
Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda said, “From the first moment we learned of this event, as well as of the murder of Margarito Martínez Esquivel, we approached the issues with total responsibility, making use of all the resources at our disposal to resolve it and bring to justice those responsible for these events in accordance with the law.
“In Baja California we will not allow attacks against freedom of expression. For us, the truth is a fundamental element for the functioning of the democratic life of our state.”
Mexico is considered the deadliest country for the press outside of active war zones. Maldonado’s murder was one of at least four killings of journalists since the start of the year. There have been 148 journalists killed in Mexico since 2000, according to human rights group Article 19.
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