The body of a journalist who was abducted by armed men three weeks ago has been found in eastern Mexico, authorities said Sunday, adding that a former police officer has confessed to carrying out the crime apparently at the request of the town's mayor.

The Jan 2 disappearance of Moises Sanchez had sparked protests in Veracruz state, where at least 11 journalists have been killed since December 2010, making it one of the most dangerous Mexican states for reporters.

Sanchez was a social activist and journalist in the town of Medellin de Bravo and published a weekly, La Union, which covered local government corruption and violent deaths, as well as printing citizen complaints. Sanchez's relatives said he received threats and pointed to Mayor Omar Cruz, a frequent target of the journalist's reports, as the main suspect in his disappearance.