The prosecutor’s office said on Friday that the guards, who were active police officers, were detained as part of an investigation into their “probable involvement in the crime of qualified homicide” of the politician.

The mayor of Uruapan was killed in front of his family on November 1 in broad daylight. The alleged perpetrator was a 17-year-old boy who was killed by the politician’s guards. Local and federal authorities have said that organised crime was likely behind the assassination. The assassination of Manzo during an event in the city marking the Day of the Dead caused widespread shock and outrage across the nation.

It ignited antigovernment protests and led to the reinforcement of federal forces in Michoacan, a state in western Mexico. Manzo, 40, had gained popularity as a crusader against organized crime in the troubled state. He had served as mayor of Uruapan for a little over a year and had campaigned on fighting Mexico’s notorious and powerful drug cartels.

Until their arrests, the seven guards remained active, tasked with protecting Manzo’s widow, Grecia Quiroz, who was appointed by the state Congress to replace him as mayor of Uruapan, officials said. On Wednesday, federal authorities announced the arrest of Jorge Armando “N,” also known as “El Licenciado”, naming him “as one of the masterminds” in Manzo’s killing.

The federal Security Secretariat said El Licenciado is the leader of an unidentified criminal cell that, according to local media, is believed to be the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. On Friday, local media circulated images of a midday raid in Uruapan by agents from the local prosecutor’s office, supported by military personnel and federal guards, to arrest the bodyguards.

The brief report from the prosecutor’s office, shared on social media, added that the detainees were “public officials” and were transferred to a prison to be presented before a judge. Authorities have since indicated that the members of Manzo’s security detail were municipal police officers. (Aljazeera)