Mexico, July 19: Prosecutors have announced that 10 Mexican policemen have been arrested over the killings of 12 federal agents earlier this week.
Prosecutors said in a statement that the preventative detention happened in the western state of Michoacan on Saturday.
Investigators could “strengthen evidence that the men arrested today undertook criminal acts in support of the Michoacan ‘La Familia’ (drug cartel) and determine their responsibility for the murder of federal agents,” read the statement.
On Tuesday, police found the bodies of 11 men and one woman working for the federal police, bearing signs of torture, AFP reported.
Earlier, authorities suggested the killings might be linked to the powerful “La Familia” drug cartel, which is considered one of the most violent criminal gangs in Mexico.
President Felipe Calderon has sent over 45,000 troops to drug hotspots throughout the nation since taking office, and gangs have responded with bloodshed.
Drug violence has killed more than 11,000 people nationwide since 2006.
—–Agencies