Roberto Marcos García

Roberto Marcos García
Roberto Marcos García
Died	21 November 2006; Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico
Cause of death	Gunshot wounds
Occupation	Journalist
Organization(s)	Alarma; Testimonio
Known for	Investigative journalism

Roberto Marcos García (died 21 November 2006) was a Mexican journalist, crime reporter, and deputy editor for Testimonio, a crime-beat magazine based in the port city of Veracruz, Veracruz. He was also a local correspondant in Veracruz for the Mexico City weekly publication Alarma for over a decade.

Early life and career

Roberto Marcos García worked as a crime reporter for Testimonio for at least 13 years, and worked on drug-related killings, police reports, and the narcotics trade in the state of Veracruz. He also worked a local correspondant for Alarma, a weekly publication based in Mexico City, for more than 10 years.^[1]^[2] Reporters close to him allege that Marcos García received several death threats through the phone during his journalistic career. In addition, a week before his assassination, Marcos García publicized an article about gangsters stealing merchandise coming in by ships to the port city of Veracruz, Veracruz.^[3]

Assassination

On 21 November 2006, Marcos García (aged 50) was traveling from the state capital to Alvarado, Veracruz when a stolen vehicle with license plates from Mexico City ran him down around noon.^[4]^[5] Once the journalist was on the ground, two unidentified suspects shot him at close range more than ten times, twice on his head and four times on his chest. The authorities found 12 bullet casings at the scene; the suspects' vehicle was abandoned about 400 meters away.^[1]^[6]

The Mexican police arrested a suspect, José Cortés Terrones (alias El Loro), on 1 December 2006. According to the local press, Cortés Terrones reportedly threatened the journalist and warned him that two men wanted to abduct him for writing about their criminal activities two weeks before his killing.^[1] Although Cortés Terrones admitted that he knew Marcos García in person, he said that he had nothing to do with his assassination. With his arrest, the Veracruz police managed to capture another man, Sergio Muñoz López, (alias El Drácula), and charged both of them with the murder. Local media outlets stated that Muñoz López beat up Marcos García in 2003 with another group of men as a reprisal for his crime publications.^[1]^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Roberto Marcos García". New York City: Committee to Protect Journalists. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "SIP pide a futuro presidente de México prioridad sobre asesinatos contra periodistas" (in Spanish). Miami: Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa. 24 November 2006. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Provincial reporter found murdered". New York City: Committee to Protect Journalists. 22 November 2006. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Roberto Marcos García: Mexico". International Press Institute. 21 November 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Ejecutan de 12 balazos a reportero en Veracruz". La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). 21 November 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2013. {{cite news}}: |archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Andrés T., Morales (21 November 2006). "Matan a reportero de la revista Testimonio en Veracruz". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 23 October 2012 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Attacks on the Press in 2006 - Mexico". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. February 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2013.