(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 10 November 2004 CPJ press release: CPJ RELEASES A SPECIAL REPORT ON TIJUANA Free-Fire Zone Tijuana’s drug war ensnares the press and claims an editor’s life Tijuana, Mexico, November 10, 2004 – As rival drug cartels battle over lucrative smuggling routes, violence is spilling onto the streets of this […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 10 November 2004 CPJ press release:
CPJ RELEASES A SPECIAL REPORT ON TIJUANA
Free-Fire Zone
Tijuana’s drug war ensnares the press and claims an editor’s life
Tijuana, Mexico, November 10, 2004 – As rival drug cartels battle over lucrative smuggling routes, violence is spilling onto the streets of this bustling border city. Francisco Ortiz Franco, co-editor of the muckraking weekly Zeta, became victim of the bloody drug war in June when he was gunned down in broad daylight in a quiet neighborhood near downtown.
Federal prosecutors, while not discounting other possibilities, have publicly linked the murder to the Tijuana drug cartel controlled by the Arellano Félix family. Investigators believe that Ortiz Franco was killed because of his work as a journalist and are considering stories he wrote about the cartel as the probable motive. Yet no arrests have been made, and journalists are concerned about their safety.
The Committee to Protect Journalists investigates the slaying and the brutal backdrop in a new special report, “Free-Fire Zone.” CPJ’s Joel Simon and Carlos Lauría visited the troubled city during a week-long mission, interviewing police investigators, prosecutors, analysts, and journalists.
To read the full report click here: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2004/tijuana/tijuana.html
CPJ is a New York?based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org
