Erik Saracho, director of the Jaguar Alliance and a defender of Mexican jaguars, survived an assassination attempt at his home in the western Mexican state of Nayarit on March 11, describing the attack during a press conference where a new report documented the killing of 10 environmental activists in 2025.
Background
The Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) released its annual report Thursday, revealing that 10 environmental activists were killed in Mexico during 2025. The organization recorded 135 total aggressions against environmental defenders, ranging from stigmatization and defamation to robbery and surveillance. According to the report, 199 environmentalists have been murdered in Mexico over the past decade in relation to their defense of natural resources and ecosystems.
Speaking at the press conference where the report was presented, Saracho recounted the armed attack he survived last March 11 at his residence in Nayarit. "I told the hitman 'good morning,'" he recalled, "and at that moment he opened fire with a pistol." The activist and journalist said he then pressed the panic button that the federal government had provided him due to previous threats against his life.
The attack video, released by the state prosecutor's office, shows the alleged assassination attempt. Over 25 minutes passed before Saracho received the medical help that saved his life, according to reports from the press conference.
Gustavo Alanis, executive director of CEMDA, said that the Mexican state is "the primary perpetrator of aggressions" against environmental activists. The report documented that federal, state, and municipal authorities participated in 76 cases of aggression, representing 56.2% of the documented threats. However, the organization clarified that state agents were not documented participating in any of the 10 registered homicides.
The Investigation
The Nayarit state prosecutor's office released video of the alleged attack and offered a reward of 100,000 pesos for information leading to the identification and capture of those responsible. The Jaguar Alliance, in a statement posted to social media, condemned the attack and demanded an "immediate, exhaustive, and transparent investigation."
"He is someone who—apparently due to his commitment to civic engagement and the protection of our region's natural heritage—has become an inconvenient target, a reality that, as a society, we neither should nor can accept," the group wrote.
Key Takeaways
- Erik Saracho, director of the Jaguar Alliance, survived an assassination attempt on March 11 in Nayarit, Mexico
- The attack was captured on video released by the state prosecutor's office
- CEMDA's report documented 10 environmental activist killings in Mexico during 2025
- Over the past decade, 199 environmentalists have been murdered in Mexico
- A reward of 100,000 pesos has been offered for information on the attack
What's Next
The investigation into the assassination attempt against Saracho remains ongoing. Authorities continue to seek information about the shooter, who fled the scene after opening fire. The Jaguar Alliance and environmental organizations are calling for a thorough investigation into the attack, while Saracho continues his work protecting endangered jaguars in western Mexico.