Manuel Alejandro Mora Serna, known locally as Alex, was a content creator, investigative journalist and environmental activist based out of Zihuatanejo, a coastal city popular with tourists in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, according to news reports. Serna often reported and commented on environmental issues tied to allegations of corruption of local businesses and politicians on his personal Facebook, YouTube and Instagram pages, which collectively had nearly 200,000 followers.
Serna's body was found June 22, 2026, in Zihuatanejo, according to the news reports, though the date has not been confirmed by state authorities. The Guerrero State Human Rights Commission (CDHEG) confirmed in a July 3 statement on Facebook that his remains had been located. Serna had been reported missing on June 20, 2026, according to the same news reports, which added that Serna’s body showed signs of torture.
On Facebook, Serna uploaded a video about a foreign-held company allegedly extracting water from the Zihuatanejo area without proper permits on June 20, the Zihuatanejo municipal government allegedly removing trees for commercial purposes on June 17, and the Zihuatanejo seaport demolishing a local pier, allegedly without proper permits on June 14.
On March 4, 2026, Serna posted a screenshot of a death threat he received. He alleged the sender was a relative of the Zihuatanejo mayor, whom he regularly accused of corruption. Several phone calls by CPJ to the mayor’s office for comment went unanswered. CPJ’s phone calls to the Guerrero state prosecutor’s office (FGE) for comment were not answered.
An official at the federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, which coordinates protection programs for journalists at risk, supervised by the Mexican federal government, confirmed to CPJ on July 10, 2026, that Serna had not been incorporated in a protection program by his agency. The official spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.