Authorities in Mexico arrested three suspects Tuesday for his or her alleged connection to final month's killing of reporter Lourdes Maldonado López.

Maldonado López, 68, was fatally shot within the face whereas in her automotive within the border metropolis of Tijuana on January 23 and was the second journalist killed there in a single week. In a information convention three years earlier, she raised issues about journalist killings to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, saying she feared for her life.

López Obrador confirmed the arrests of three people in Baja California for his or her connection to the crime, he mentioned throughout a Wednesday press convention.

The arrest was the results of a joint investigation between Baja California state investigators and the federal authorities, López Obrador mentioned. The suspects' identities haven't been launched.

Mexico's sub-secretary of public security, Ricardo Mejía, known as the three people "presumed materials co-authors," however didn't present particulars concerning the killing and didn't point out a motive for the taking pictures throughout Wednesday's press convention.

Mejía mentioned the trio allegedly took a taxi to Maldonado López's neighborhood hours earlier than the taking pictures, ready for her to come back dwelling. He gave detailed info to reporters concerning the taxi's actions adopted by surveillance and images.

Baja California Legal professional Normal Ricardo Iván Carpio Sánchez mentioned at a press convention Wednesday that investigators should still be searching for others who could also be concerned and it is "not dominated on the market could also be extra."

"We're obliged to make sure that there may be justice within the nation and that impunity will not be allowed," López Obrador mentioned.

Mexico's Secretary of Public Security Rosa Icela Rodriguez mentioned the search warrants and arrests have been issued throughout an investigation that concerned the Nationwide Anti-Kidnapping Coordination, the Nationwide Intelligence Heart, the Ministry of Safety, the Inside Ministry and the Navy.

Mexico is taken into account one of many deadliest locations for journalists to work outdoors of lively conflict zones, in accordance with The San Diego Union-Tribune.Maldonado López was one among 4 journalists killed for the reason that starting of this yr in Mexico. In the identical week of her loss of life, journalist Margarito Martínez Esquivel was fatally shot.

3 Arrested in Connection to Journalist Murder
Police in Mexico have arrested three suspects in connection to the killing of journalist Lourdes Maldonado López, the third journalist to be killed within the nation over the previous few weeks. The above picture exhibits the shadow of a police officer arresting an unrelated suspect on September 23, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photographs

Martínez Esquivel was shot 3 times outdoors his Tijuana dwelling as he left for work. On the time of his loss of life, he was protecting crime and safety and dealing as a "fixer" helping different shops together with the Union-Tribune and worldwide shops just like the BBC.

The 2 different reporters killed this yr in Mexico have been Jose Gamboa within the japanese state of Veracruz and Roberto Toledo within the western state of Michoacan. There have been 148 reporters killed in Mexico since 2000.

Activists have mentioned that legal teams, drug gangs and corrupt officers are suspected of finishing up a number of of the killings of journalists in Mexico, Reuters reported.

Replace 02/09/22, 3:15 p.m. ET: This text was up to date with extra info.

Replace 02/09/22, 2:50 p.m. ET: This text was up to date with extra background info and particulars concerning the arrests.