Photojournalist found dead after hiding in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A Mexican photojournalist who had received threats in his home state of Veracruz was found dead along with four others in Mexico City, according to officials.

Ruben Espinosa worked for investigative magazine Proceso and had recently moved to the country's capital, normally considered a safe haven for journalists seeking refuge from violent attacks.

The Mexico City prosecutor's office said the other four victims were women, three of whom were residents of the flat in the Narvarte neighborhood, while the other was a domestic employee.

The causes of death are still under investigation, but Proceso reported that Espinosa died after being shot twice.

Freedom of press advocacy group Article 19 says Espinosa is the 88th journalist to be killed in Mexico and the first to be killed while taking refuge in the capital.

Journalists working in the state of Veracruz are often targeted in attacks by gangs linked to the drug trade, the BBC reports.

The Mexican government has set up an agency to protect journalists exiled in Mexico City, but Article 19 expressed concern that the capital no longer represents a safe haven for internally displaced reporters.

It also called on the Mexican government to address the situation in Veracruz, which it characterized as "the most dangerous place for freedom of expression in all of Latin America."