In one of Mexico’s most dangerous regions, AP’s Mexico City-based team delivered a deeply reported and visually powerful account of communities forced to take up arms in the face of cartel violence.
Reporter Megan Janetsky, video journalist Fernanda Pesce and photographer Marco Ugarte overcame significant logistical and security challenges to report from Guerrero state, where residents face stark choices between fleeing, submitting or fighting back. The team followed a 50-member vigilante group made up largely of local farmers who had armed themselves with military-grade weapons to defend against cartel attacks.
Their reporting revealed a more complicated reality: the same vigilante group was being supplied by rival cartels, and some members had past ties to organized crime. The team also documented that many of the weapons used — including AK-47s and AR-15s — originated in the United States, with markings linking them to manufacturers in states like Florida and South Carolina.
Through government sources, the journalists secured rare access to Mexico’s Marines, adding another layer of insight into the fragmented and evolving conflict. Janetsky also created maps and graphics to help readers understand how competing cartels operate across the region.
The result was a nuanced, all-formats package that captured both the human toll of violence and the complex web of actors shaping it.
Judges praised the exclusive reporting, strong visuals and compelling presentation.
For an engaging all-formats package that provided a timely and refined portrait of cartel conflict in Mexico, Megan Janetsky, Fernanda Pesce and Marco Ugarte win this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
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