XALAPA, Mexico (AP) — A reporter covering crime in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz was killed Thursday night in the city of Poza Rica, according to a state entity.

The State Commission for the Attention and Protection of Journalists said in a statement that it condemned the killing and called for an exhaustive investigation.

The commission identified the victim only by his first name in keeping with state policy, but local outlets identified him as Carlos Castro, director of an online outlet called Código Norte Veracruz, who also collaborated with other regional outlets.

Another local reporter at the scene, who requested anonymity for safety, said Castro was shot at a restaurant in the city. State and local police, as well as the National Guard responded to the scene.

The reporter said Castro had recently returned to the city after spending several months outside the state due to threats, and that he had received protective measures from the state commission. Castro had also moved to Guanajuato state in 2024 to escape threats.

Castro is the first journalist killed this year in Mexico, historically one of the region’s deadliest for journalists. According to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists, six journalists and media workers were killed in Mexico last year.