Mexico immigration agency suspends agent who pushed reporter

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s National Immigration Institute said Friday it has suspended one of its agents who was seen pushing a reporter to the ground as the journalist tried to film a group of officials.

The institute said the agent involved had been “separated from his operational duties” after the incident; the case will be placed under review for possible further sanctions.

It said in a statement “this institute does not tolerate improper behavior or acts of violence by its agents.”

In video broadcast by TV Azteca, a burly agent was seen pushing video reporter Pedro Gerardo López to the ground.

López said it was not the first time that he has been attacked by immigration agents.

“This is not the first time I have suffered attacks from agents of the national immigration institute,” López said. “Logically, what we want is that this type of situation not be repeated.”

Eight journalists have been murdered so far this year in Mexico, making the country the most dangerous place in the world for the press outside war zones.

TV Azteca owner Ricardo Salinas Pliego wrote in his Twitter account, “Let us not allow violence against journalists doing their job to become the norm, soon they will turn up dead and nothing will be done.”