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by IANS |
Mexico City, Aug 25 (IANS) Mexican federal authorities on Wednesday arrested a man accused of ordering the murder of Tijuana photojournalist Margarito Martinez Esquivel in January.
David Lopez Jimenez, who goes by the nickname "Cabo 20", was taken into custody on Wednesday in the state of Nuevo Leon, reports dpa news agency.
Baja California state Attorney General Ricardo Ivan Carpio announced the arrest at a news conference later in the day.
"He is being detained as the intellectual author of the (murder) of photojournalist Margarito Martinez Esquivel and other charges will be sought (against him)," Carpio said.
Martinez, who covered stories on security and crime in Tijuana, was fatally shot in front of his home on January 17 as he left his home for work.
The arrest of the high-profile target comes just weeks before prosecutors are scheduled to present their case against three other defendants who are accused of carrying out the hit.
Wednesday's arrest comes after journalist Fredid Roman was shot dead in the city of Chilpancingo on Monday.
Roman worked as a journalist for more than 35 years and more recently wrote columns about education and politics.
This year has already been noted as one of the deadliest for media representatives in Mexico.
Less than a week ago the journalist Juan Arjon was killed in the country's north-west.
The media organization Article 19 has counted at least 14 deaths in 2022, a record number for a single year.
Mexico was ranked as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists in 2021 for the third year in a row by Reporters Without Borders.
Drug cartels or corrupt local politicians are often behind the killings.
