4 police officers and 2 civilians arrested for kidnapping of a journalist in eastern Mexico.

XALAPA, Mexico (AP) — Six people, including four local police officers, were arrested in the Mexican state of Veracruz for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a journalist in that state, the state prosecutor's office confirmed Friday to The Associated Press.

More than three weeks after the disappearance of Roxana Guzmán, director of Pulso Informativo del Sureste, the Veracruz Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest of José del Carmen “N,” identified as the alleged leader of a criminal cell operating in the south of that state, located in eastern Mexico and bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Also captured were Karen “N” and four municipal police officers assigned to the Ixhuatlán del Sureste City Council.

The arrests were made during a series of coordinated operations between the state prosecutor's office and the Secretariat of Public Security in Ixhuatlán del Sureste, a municipality in the oil region of southern Veracruz.

In a statement, the Prosecutor's Office indicated that José del Carmen “N” is considered a priority target and is being investigated for various criminal acts committed in the neighboring municipality of Nanchital. The agency added that the detainee is also being investigated for his probable participation in the deprivation of liberty of the journalist, identified by her initials R.B.G.R.

The Prosecutor's Office did not specify the charges against Karen “N” or the four municipal police officers, nor did it detail the degree of their involvement, but it confirmed to the AP the alleged participation of those arrested in the kidnapping of Guzmán.

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The six were placed at the disposal of a judge, who will determine their legal status.

Guzmán's disappearance occurred on June 4 following the alleged intrusion of a group of armed men into her home. According to a video circulated on social media, two men, their faces covered and carrying long weapons, arrived at the residence and, after striking the front door with a hammer, entered violently, pointing their guns at the people inside.

Since then, family members, colleagues, and organizations defending freedom of expression have demanded that authorities intensify their search and clarify the case.

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So far, the journalist has not been located. The arrests represent the first time the Prosecutor's Office has publicly confirmed a judicial action directly linked to the investigation.

For years, Veracruz has been one of the most dangerous states in Mexico for practicing journalism, according to national and international organizations dedicated to defending freedom of expression.

In the last six months, two journalists have been murdered in that state: Luis Ángel López Valdez, director of the media outlet Reportaje Policiaco Veracruzano and reporter for Vanguardia de Veracruz, who died on June 11 after an armed attack; and Carlos Castro, reporter and director of the local digital media outlet Código Norte Veracruz, who was shot on January 8.