Miroslava Breach Velducea

Also known as: La Jornada / Norte

Journalist

Female Verified

DiedMarch 23, 2017

Location of DeathChihuahua, Mexico

Cause of DeathShot eight times by a gunman at close range.

Conflict Journalist Deaths - Mexico

Miroslava Breach Velducea was a Mexican journalist for La Jornada and Norte de Ciudad Juárez. She was shot and killed outside her home in Chihuahua, Mexico, on March 23, 2017.

Their Story

Miroslava Breach Velducea was a veteran correspondent based in the northern state of Chihuahua. For over two decades, she reported for national outlets including La Jornada and the regional newspaper Norte de Ciudad Juárez. Her investigative work frequently covered organized crime, political corruption, and the links between drug cartels and local governments.

On the morning of March 23, 2017, Breach was shot eight times as she sat in her car outside her home in the city of Chihuahua. Her son, who was in the vehicle, witnessed the attack. The assailant fired from close range and fled the scene. Breach, 54, died shortly afterward at a local hospital.

Her killing occurred within a broader pattern of violence against journalists in Mexico, particularly those reporting on crime and corruption in regions dominated by drug cartels. Breach had recently published reports on political candidates allegedly tied to organized crime and on the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel and its local factions.

Mexican authorities stated the murder was a premeditated attack linked to her journalism. In 2020, a man identified as Juan Carlos Moreno Ochoa, alias 'El Larry,' was sentenced to 50 years in prison as the material author of the crime. Prosecutors alleged he acted on orders from the Sinaloa Cartel and the former mayor of the town of Janos, José Crispín Salazar.

Breach's death was condemned by national and international press freedom organizations. In 2017, she was posthumously awarded Mexico's National Journalism Prize. Her case remains a prominent example of the extreme risks faced by journalists in Mexico, and her work is cited by colleagues continuing to report on crime and impunity.