 The Committee to Protect Journalists similarly noted that “Torres had written several columns critical of local officials shortly before his death.” For example, in his final column for "El Dictamen", published shortly after his abduction, “Torres criticized the mayor of Chilpancingo, capital of Guerrero state, accusing him of putting personal political ambition ahead of problems such as crime and corruption.” Earlier, in March, he had written in "Libertad Guerrero Noticias" that he “accused a state senator of putting gubernatorial plans ahead of congressional work.” In another March column for "Libertad Guerrero Noticias", Torres “criticized the son of current Guerrero Governor Ángel Aguirre, who the journalist alleged wanted to run for mayor of Acapulco.”

One source noted that in his last column, Torres “described painted bed sheets decrying political and police corruption hung from pedestrian bridges in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero,” and criticized Mario Moreno Arcos, mayor of that city, “accusing him of neglecting duties to his constituents while striving to advance his political career.”

Many of Torres's articles were so critical of the government that, owing to the fact that he was a government employee, he signed with an alias, “Serpico.”

Three members of Torres's family were murdered in January 2001 at a village called Kilómetro 30.The victims were his father, Tomás Torres Abarca; his brother, Juan Torres Palacios; and his cousin, Juan Torres Miranda.All three died in a shoot-out in which Torres himself was wounded, as were his brothers Salvador and Carlos.