Mexico Finds Another Journalist Slain

VERACRUZ, Mexico – Police on Thursday found the bullet-ridden bodies of two men, including a missing journalist, just days after the body of another slain reporter was found in the area, authorities said.

Police said they discovered the body of reporter Adolfo Sanchez Guzman, 32, near Ciudad Mendoza, 75 miles west of Veracruz, not far from where his car was found abandoned Tuesday night.

Veracruz Attorney General Emeterio Lopez said Sanchez Guzman had been shot twice in the back of the head at close range. A second man, identified as Cesar Martinez Lopez, a friend of Sanchez Guzman, also was apparently shot to death, though an icepick was found near his body.

It was unclear whether Sanchez Guzman's death was linked to his work.

Jaime Pizano, head of investigative police in Ciudad Mendoza, said Martinez Lopez, who was allegedly linked to the thefts of freight trucks, may have been the target.

Sanchez Guzman worked for the Veracruz affiliate of the Televisa television network and also reported for a radio station and an Internet news site.

Sanchez Guzman's death followed the Nov. 21 slaying of Roberto Marcos Garcia, chief reporter for the investigative magazine Testimonio, on the outskirts of Veracruz City. Garcia had written articles on drug trafficking, auto theft and corruption, among other crimes.

Since 2004, at least 13 journalists have met violent deaths in Mexico, most shot to death, presumably as revenge for unfavorable reports on criminals, drug traffickers and corrupt government officials.