RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
07/07/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Environmental reporter Alex Serna fifth journalist killed in Mexico since January 2026
The murder of environmental journalist Manuel Alejandro Moreno Serna is yet another sign of the deepening crisis of violence against the press in Mexico. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this crime and calls on the Mexican authorities to conduct an independent and thorough investigation without delay, giving priority to the possibility that the killing was linked to his journalistic work. This is the fifth such case RSF has documented in Mexico since the beginning of 2026.
Manuel Alejandro Moreno Serna, known as Alex Serna, was a 39-year-old freelance environmental journalist working in the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta, in the state of Guerrero. He was reported missing on 20 June. A few days later, the news outlet Al Punto Guerrero released an audio recording attributed to the journalist in which he pleaded for help and said he was being held captive in retaliation for exposing serious environmental damage in the Salitreras River area. On 3 July, the Guerrero State Human Rights Commission confirmed his death and called for an investigation to be carried out with the utmost diligence.
Through his Facebook page and YouTube channel, Alex Serna investigated and documented issues related to water management, environmental damage and alleged corruption involving companies and local authorities.
In his final post, released on 20 June, he denounced the activities of a mango dehydration company, alleging that it was operating without the required environmental permits. Shortly before his disappearance, Alex Serna publicly disclosed threats he had received on social media from anonymous accounts whose operators claimed to know his whereabouts and demanded that he stop publishing his investigations. The journalist was not receiving any form of state protection.
"Alex Serna investigated environmental destruction, corruption and the unlawful exploitation of natural resources - issues that are unquestionably of public interest. His murder, which came mere days after the confirmation that reporter Roxana Guzman had been killed, demonstrates that journalists in Mexico continue to be silenced in the cruellest possible way for doing their job: informing the public. We condemn this crime and call on the authorities to identify and prosecute all those responsible, and finally put an end to the cycle of impunity that continues to fuel further attacks against the press.
Artur Romeu
Director, RSF Latin America
Alex Serna's murder confirms the conditions for journalism in Mexico have worsened in 2026. In the state of Guerrero, where Alex Serna worked, RSF had already documented the murders of journalists José Carlos González Herrera and Ronald Paz Pedro in 2025, both in Acapulco.
The repeated occurrence of these crimes demonstrates that, despite the authorities' repeated promises to protect journalists, those investigating corruption, organised crime and environmental issues continue to face extreme risks simply for carrying out their profession.
Published on 07.07.2026
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