Texas-based freelance journalist has been missing for a month after crossing into Tamaulipas to capture photographs of a shooting, a journalism advocacy group said.
According to the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, Zack Alejandro Plemmon Rosales, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico, had been staying at a hotel in Nuevo Laredo, Tamps., when he left to cover a shooting and never returned.
Nuevo Laredo is considered a main base of operations for the Zetas cartel, which has been in a bloody struggle with their former masters, the Gulf Cartel.
The Knight Center for Journalism is a training and outreach program for journalists in the Americas and the center has also kept a close eye on violence against journalists.
Because of the intense wave of violence, newspapers in the city of Nuevo Laredo have stopped publishing stories about organized crime, according to the Knight Center, which emphasized that Mexico is the most dangerous country in the Western Hemisphere for journalists.
According to KABB-TV in San Antonio, the 30-year-old Plemmon was a crime photographer who had been working for the Sinaloa newspaper El Debate and had been tracking the actions of the Sinaloa Cartel. The television station reported that hotel employees said two masked men went into the building and took Plemmon’s belongings.
The following is the notice published in the Knight Center website:
A month has passed since a freelance photojournalist from
Texas working in Mexico has been heard from, reported the television station
Fox 29 of San Antonio the night of Thursday, June 21.
Freelancer Zane Plemmons was staying in a hotel in the
border city of Nuevo Laredo when he left to take photos of a shooting, the
hotel's receptionist told the journalist's sister, Lizanne Sánchez.
Zane Alejandro Plemmons Rosales, who has dual U.S. and
Mexican citizenship, was working for the Mexican newspaper El Debate at the
time of his disappearance.
Because of the intense wave of violence, newspapers in
the city of Nuevo Laredo have stopped publishing stories about organized crime.
In 2011, a journalist in Nuevo Laredo was decapitated for reporting anonymously
via social media about organized crime.
Sources: lldefonso Ortiz for the Monitor and The Knight Center for Journalism
este reportero iba publicar lo que deberas pasa en nuevo laredo lla que los zetas tienen la prensa de nuevo laredo bajos de sus huevos pinche mierdazz la gente sabe que el chapo le esta dando en la madre aqui diario ay enfrentamiento secuestros extorsion que no se publica
ReplyDeleteWhat the fuck was he thinkig.that will teach him a lesson.dumb fuck.
ReplyDeleteThats a dangerous job..and not very smart move to do that...the U.S. dosnt care about you when you go to Mexico your on your own...but they can send soldiers to the middle east to rescue non Americans..
DeleteUmmmmmm-out of curiosity-why is this story not front page news. You ever noticed how many important cartel related stories never surface to front page stories in the US. If it relates to the border or below-not important or what?
ReplyDeleteWith experience and education he has....he sounds like a CIA operative.
ReplyDeleteU gotta have big cojones to even be on the border reporting from the streets! I give him props though! Shit I couldnt do it! Hope hes ok!
ReplyDeleteYou summed up my thoughts exactly.
DeletePlay with fire your gonna get burned in this case dismembered.
ReplyDeleteDamn. That sucks.
ReplyDeleteZane seems like an adventurer with terrific experience. I wish that his captors would respect him for trying to do a dangerous job in a dangerous country.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he did not keep his mouth shut and told everybody around him that he is "working on the cartel." IMO he was not careful enough.
ReplyDeleteRemember the outrage by the american government when danile pearl was kidnapped and murdered by muslims. Never an angry word from the american gvt when a mexican-american is kidnapped and murdered by drug cartels.
ReplyDeleteAnyone find this perversely strange.
I guess jews have more value.
I don't know how much they were paying him, but it was clearly not enough! No amount of money could be enough to do that job. He should have done daylight reporting and crossed back into US nightly. Poor guy. And further to other comment, where is the US outrage over missing and murdered US Citizens?
ReplyDeletehey moron, did you ever think he was doing it strictly for humanitarian reasons and due to a good heart and unwavering courage, and not for money. If he were, however, doing it for money, then he could be likened to the paid off, sorry excuses for law enforcement, that sweep things like this under the rug.
DeleteCase similiar to this one was the beginning of the end of Gilberto Ontiveros aka El Greñas in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua in the early 80's. He kidnapped an El Paso, TX reporter that was covering the Grand opening of a Five Star Hotel owned by El Greñas in Juárez, Chihuahua. Months later DEA started the investigation and his drug empire ended.
ReplyDeleteNothing cartel related is ever front page coverage, the usa is looking the other way..."aqui no pasa nada..." As lame as it sounds, its true!
ReplyDeleteThere is a kid here in Los fresnos Texas that drove to matamoros about a month ago and hasn't been seen since.his mother is beside herself.that didn't make the news as far as I know.
ReplyDeleteVia con Dios! I guess he thought he knew what he's doing! Some people just don't get it...they ignore the warnings! DO NOT TRY AND REPORT NEWS OR INVESTIGATE DRUG CARTELS, IN MEXICO....IN THE OPEN!!
ReplyDeleteThere's a family from midland TX missing in ojinaga chihuahua. They are American the govt doesn't care. I guess you have to be a hiker in the middle east for obama and hillary to care
ReplyDeleteI just don't get it,why do ppl go to Mexico?
ReplyDeleteThey know what's going on and still cross into it like nothing.
I wouldn't travel through one of those Mexican border towns even if someone paid me a million dollars. Fuck that shit.
ReplyDelete@ Chivis...FYI: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Case-of-missing-S-A-man-leaves-family-in-dark-3668020.php#photo-3126892
ReplyDeleteIm from Laredo TX everyone knows n.laredo is a war zone if u go over there u got to act like a pussy civilian there is halcones everywhere halcones are panochas by Da way I can floor them quik but if ur suspicious n they make a call asta la byby sad but true it is rumored that z40 has killed 325Americans u.s.a doesnt acknowledge this why too much corruption on both sides so u.s.a gives a fuck about Syria turkey and watever other raghead one,million miles away but +25Americans killed by z40 and numerous others not reported are nothing wen is this going to America. Main stream media!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf we all would start talking about this more tweeting it posting it to our walls and such perhaps some more information can come to light or perhaps at least it will get some front page attention. I for one plan on doing something to help this poor man.
ReplyDeletethank you. he is a dear friend.
DeleteHe was doing his job as a reporter. There is no need for anyone to make ignorant comments. Remember, he is someone`s son, brother, and uncle. The drug cartels are targeting anyone. This is why several people have gone missing in mexico all these years. They are ruthless and don`t care about any thing other than their stupid causes.
ReplyDeleteDis is my brothers brother maintenanceman. He went missing in nvo.laredo june 22;2012 he gotts a tatto of a eagle the mexican flag emblem on his bak shoulder.,@ tiger, leopard and a panther on his leg.if any one can help me find him or at least God not willing his remains, please email me at dtownrifa@gmail.com. con todo respeto maintenanceman, i just want to know cuse i can't help been his brother. Grasias
ReplyDeleteure brothers brother maintenance man?..You mean your step-brother's maintenance man?
Delete