The arrests of two journalists in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí have sparked growing alarm over the increasing use of legal mechanisms to target members of the press in retaliation for critical reporting.
According to local reporters who spoke anonymously to CPJ due to security concerns, journalist Eréndira Reyes, founder and editor of the Facebook-based news outlet San Wicho Times and the magazine Capital, was arrested by state police on May 21 in San Luis Potosí alongside her daughter, journalist Alejandra Hermosillo. Official detention records indicate that both remain imprisoned at the La Pila state penitentiary.
Journalists familiar with the case shared what appeared to be an arrest warrant involving several media workers among a broader group of individuals. While authorities confirmed the arrests in an official statement, prosecutors alleged only that the journalists were involved in the “deliberate and illegal manipulation of the digital identity of the victim,” without publicly identifying the alleged victim or clarifying whether additional journalists are being sought.
The case is reportedly connected to a video circulated on Facebook in 2025 in which a criminal group accused Governor Ricardo Gallardo of corruption. Gallardo later claimed the footage contained AI-generated manipulations of his image. Shortly afterward, state lawmakers amended the penal code to criminalize AI-manipulated content, introducing penalties of up to three years in prison under newly added provisions.
Local journalists believe the prosecutions are politically motivated and linked to previous critical reporting on the governor’s administration by Reyes and Hermosillo. Concerns have also emerged that other journalists could face similar charges under the same law.
The arrests come amid broader concerns over escalating judicial harassment against journalists in Mexico, which remains one of the deadliest countries in the world for the press outside active war zones.
Free Press Alliance strongly condemns the arrests of journalists Reyes and Hermosillo and the apparent misuse of AI-related legislation to criminalize journalism. Laws aimed at regulating digital manipulation must not become tools for political retaliation or censorship. The imprisonment of journalists under vague legal accusations threatens freedom of expression, weakens democratic accountability, and deepens the climate of fear already faced by reporters in Mexico. Authorities must immediately guarantee due process, protect press freedom, and end the use of judicial harassment against independent media.