Updated on
Summary
Mexican police raided a drug gang haven and rescued two television journalists kidnapped by cartel members who demanded that TV networks broadcast their messages. Security Minister Genaro Garcia said that the kidnappers wanted to use kidnapping to broadcast messages to the Mexican public. Criminals wanted to send messages using Mexico's capacity, in particular those of media outlets, to transmit messages from criminals that could have an impact on the community. They wanted to use the journalists as a way to transmit these messages, he said. Luna added that cameramen Javier Canales and Alejandro Hernandez were being held in the northern state of Coahuila by members of the Sinaloa cartel, Mexico's most powerful drug trade organization. Since 2006, at least 30 journalists have been killed in Mexico, according to Mexican media. Mexico is one of the world's most dangerous countries for the media, the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists says.
