Drug gang members arrested for the murder of journalist in Ciudad Juárez

MEXICO CITY (Associated Press) — Authorities in Mexico’s border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas said Friday they have arrested two drug gang members in connection with the Oct. 29 murder of a local television anchor.

But the governor of Chihuahua state said the killing was not related to the victim’s work as a journalist.

Gov. Javier Corral said the suspects were members of the Artistas Asesinos drug gang and have been linked to other murders. He said they apparently killed television news presenter Arturo Alba Medina because they mistook him for a rival.

The two suspects were among a group of five men detained Nov. 10 with guns, fentanyl, and meth. Subsequent investigations linked them to the killing. It was unclear what charges they currently face.

The state government said in a statement that suspects testified the killing “occurred because he happened to park at the scene of the attack, and they mistook his vehicle.”

Prosecutors said Alba Medina worked as a TV anchor and served as spokesman for a local college, the Instituto Tecnológico of Ciudad Juárez. Local media said he hosted the Telediario news show on Multimedios Televisión and had reported on crime and violence.

Source: Associated Press