Journalist hospitalized after armed attack in Caborca, Sonora; in 'delicate' condition

A journalist in Caborca, Sonora is in a “delicate” state after being shot by unknown assailants in front of his home Wednesday night, an attack his family believes to be due to his work covering police and crime.

Federico Hans Hagelsieb, known to his followers as “El Güero Hans,” runs El Observador news site on multiple social media platforms. Hagelsieb was getting into his car at 5:30 p.m. when he was fired upon from behind, according to the Sonora Attorney General’s Office.

International press freedom group Article 19 reported he was struck three times.

Hagelsieb is hospitalized in Hermosillo and will possibly undergo surgery, his son Luis Alonso Hagelsieb said on Thursday, in voice messages sent in Spanish through WhatsApp.

While the Sonora Attorney General’s Office said Hagelsieb is “stable,” his family said the situation is more dire.

“My dad is in a delicate condition. He was put in intensive care last night and they are waiting to see if it is surgery, or to see how they can save his life,” Luis Alonso Hagelsieb said.

Federico Hans Hagelsieb, 53, has been a reporter since he was a teenager, his son said. The journalist has received threats for his coverage before, and has been in dangerous situations, but he hasn’t been deterred from his work, Luis Alonso Hagelsieb said.

“My father has received constant threats due to the topic he covers,” he said. “He has been in the crossfire, he has been in different shootouts and he has always been on top of the stories, exercising the right of freedom of expression.”

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Less than a week ago Hagelsieb covered a violent confrontation between the Mexican army and criminal elements in Caborca that left three wounded.

The state prosecutor’s office is investigating the attack, in collaboration with police and forensic teams, and will keep the public informed, according to a news release from the state Attorney General’s Office.

Hagelsieb is under police protection while hospitalized, the release said.

“The priority at this time on the part of the authorities of the State of Sonora is to protect his physical integrity and that he receives the necessary medical attention that allows him to recover from the injuries suffered,” the release said in Spanish.

Mexico is the Western Hemisphere’s most dangerous country for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit that promotes press freedom.

Since 2000, at least 141 Mexican journalists have been killed, and at least 61 were found to be targeted directly due to their work, according to CPJ. Mexico ranked seventh on CPJ’s 2023 Global Impunity Index, which measures where murderers of journalists are most likely to go free.

“I would like to ask for your prayers for my father’s health and recovery, and for peace in Caborca,” Hagelsieb’s son Luis Alonso said.