Seven bodyguards arrested over mayor’s murder

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 attorney general’s office in Michoacán, to the west of the capital, Mexico City, said the seven guards had been arrested by both state and federal officials, including the National Guard.

Troops and agents led the suspects out of a municipal building on Friday near where Manzo had been killed, according to the Associated Press.

The 40-year-old mayor was attending a Day of the Dead ceremony – which honours deceased family and friends – alongside his relatives when he was shot seven times, sending bystanders running for cover.

Manzo’s assassination triggered mass protests and questions have been raised about why his security detail failed to stop the lone gunman.

The suspect was later restrained and shot by Manzo’s bodyguards.

Manzo had been outspoken about how avocado growers in the region were being extorted and threatened by criminal groups, and had also demanded that Mexico’s federal government do more to rein in the cartels.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which Mexico’s security minister blamed for Manzo’s slaying, engages in drug trafficking, as well as kidnapping for ransom and extortion.

It is also infamous for targeting public officials who refuse to do its bidding.

Mexican officials arrested the supposed mastermind of the assassination, named only by his forenames Jorge Amando, on Wednesday.

While the CJNG is thought to be the most powerful of the criminal gangs operating in Michoacán, there are many others and their fights for control of drug, arms and fuel smuggling routes often result in deadly confrontations.