Mexican Journalist Jaime Barrera Found Alive, Daughter and Authorities Confirm

Mexican journalist Jaime Barrera, who was reported missing on Monday March 11, was found alive in the western state of Jalisco, according to local authorities.

"The State Attorney's Office reports that journalist Jaime Barrera was found in good health. This office will continue with the protocol and field investigations to clarify the facts and capture whoever is responsible," authorities said on X.

The journalist's daughter, Itzul Barrera, also posted on X that Jaime Barrera has been reunited with his family.

According to media reports, Barrera, a popular radio and TV news presenter, was set free in a secluded spot in the municipality of Magdalena, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco.

Barrera managed to call his relatives and 911 for help. Members of state law enforcement, as well as elements of the National Guard, arrived at Barrera's location and took him into safekeeping.

Barrera, who works for several radio and TV stations and served as the editorial director of Milenio Jalisco, was reported missing on Monday 11.

State prosecutor Luis Joaquín Méndez informed the press that Barrera had been violently abducted by a group of 'three or four subjects' as he was leaving work.

At the time of his alleged abduction, Barrera did not have his mobile phone with him, making it harder to locate him, Méndez said.

Mexico is among the countries at the top of the list of the most dangerous places to work as a journalist, with most acts of violence and intimidation allegedly perpetrated by organized crime.

Article 19, a British NGO that monitors press freedom, reported that since the year 2000, 163 journalists have been murdered in Mexico. The most recent case occurred in November of last year, with impunity rates for these crimes as high as 95%.