13 arrested after members of Mexico City mayor’s staff slain

MEXICO CITY — At least 13 people allegedly involved in the killing of two members of Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada’s staff in May were arrested Wednesday for their alleged roles in what authorities described as a meticulously planned hit on two people close to the capital’s leader.

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Three of those arrested allegedly were directly involved in the killings and the others had roles in the logistics.

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Brugada’s personal secretary, Ximena Guzman, and an adviser, Jose Munoz, were shot dead in Guzman’s car on a Mexico City street in broad daylight on May 20. Guzman, as she did regularly, was picking up Munoz at a subway station.

“These results represent the first advances of an ongoing investigation,” Brugada said.

Bertha Maria Alcalde Lujan, Mexico City’s chief prosecutor, said later during a news conference that five vehicles, including the motorcycle the shooter fled on, were part of the operation. Two of the other vehicles were identified as having surveilled the victims in the weeks before their killings.

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Alcalde Lujan even said investigators believe the hit had originally been planned for May 14, but Guzman didn’t pick up Munoz that day, so they believe it was called off.

Mexico’s federal security chief, Omar Garcia Harfuch, said investigators confirmed that those involved in the shootings initially fled to a neighbourhood in the borough of Iztacalco, not far from the capital’s international airport. There they changed vehicles and escaped the city to neighbouring Mexico state.

Early Wednesday, law enforcement carried out 11 raids, arresting the 13 suspects.

Mexico City Police Chief Pablo Vazquez Camacho said there were various lines of investigation, but authorities would not speak of a possible motive while the investigation remained open.