Seven bodyguards have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the murder of a popular Mexican mayor, authorities have said.
Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan and an outspoken critic of cartel violence, was shot dead on 1 November at a public event marking the Day of the Dead.
The office of the attorney general of Michoacán state said in a brief statement that the public servants had been detained for their probable participation in the crime of aggravated homicide, in commission by omission in relation to Manzo's killing.
It follows the arrest on Wednesday of a man police described as the mastermind behind the murder, who officials said had links to a powerful cartel.
The seven guards were apprehended by both state and federal officials, including the National Guard. They were led out of a municipal building close to where Manzo met his fate.
The 40-year-old mayor was attending a Day of the Dead ceremony - a time for honoring deceased loved ones - when he was shot seven times, resulting in chaos as bystanders fled for safety.
The assassination ignited protests and prompted inquiries into why Manzo's security failed to thwart the attack. The suspected shooter was later subdued and shot by the bodyguards.
Manzo had openly criticized how local avocado growers were bullied by criminal organizations and urged the Mexican government to take stronger action against cartels.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which the government holds responsible for Manzo's murder, is notorious for drug trafficking and targeting officials who defy them.
Officials have recently apprehended Jorge Amando, identified as the mastermind of the assassination. While the CJNG is deemed the most influential cartel in Michoacán, rival criminal gangs fight for dominance, often leading to violent confrontations.
