Mexican drug trade reporter

Mexican drug trade reporter Javier Valdez killed

He was killed when unidentified attackers opened fire on his car in the city of Culiacan where Valdez was working, the RioDoce website reports.

Valdez, 50, received the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in 2011 for his coverage of drug trafficking.

He is the fifth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year.

Speaking at a launch of his book last year, he said: "Being a journalist is like being on a blacklist."