The Mexican state of Tamaulipas has dismissed its head of security following the discovery of 145 bodies in mass graves

Former army Gen Ubaldo Ayala Tinoco has been replaced by another former soldier, Capt Rafael Lomeli Martinez. The state governor said that the new chief would improve coordination with the army and federal police in the fight against drugs gangs. The killings have been blamed on the Zetas drug cartel. More than 20 suspected cartel members have been arrested in connection with the killings, including the mastermind of the massacre. But 16 state policemen have also been arrested on suspicion of protecting the criminals. Capt Lomeli was previously head of the Federal Police in Nuevo Leon, another northern border state where drug-related violence is rife. He said that he was committed to pacifying Tamaulipas, which is the scene of a bloody battle between the Zetas and the rival Gulf cartel, who are competing for control of drug smuggling routes. The mass graves containing 145 bodies were found in the municipality of San Fernando, near the US border.