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Police Force of Mexican Town Arrested on Murder Suspicion

by VOA News

   The entire police force of a western Mexican town has been detained on
   suspicion of involvement in the murder of a mayoral candidate.

   All 28 members of the Ocampo police department were arrested Sunday in
   connection with the murder of Fernando Angeles Juarez.

   Juarez was running for mayor of Ocampo, a town of about 20,000 people
   in Michoacan state, as a member of the center-left Party of the
   Democratic Revolution. He was shot dead Thursday.

   He is the third mayoral candidate to be killed in Michoacan state this
   month.

   State officials said in a statement Sunday the Ocampo police force had
   been arrested as part of a probe into potential violations of the
   police code of conduct.

   More than 100 politicians and candidates have been killed in the run-up
   to Mexico's election on July 1 when voters will choose a new president
   and vote for hundreds of other candidates running for federal, state
   and municipal positions.