Mexican troops have arrested 27 people including politicians and police chiefs in an efforts to rid the government of corruption and crush drug gangs.

The officials arrested include 10 mayors, a judge and a top police official.

They were accused of having links to violent drug cartels which have become a major problem for Mexico.

Things began to heat up on the weekend when one politician was found dead in the trunk of his car, burned to death.

Then gunmen attacked a car yesterday carrying four leftist politicians; three were injured.

The attacks were blamed on the same drug gangs.

The arrests and the attacks all took place in regions of the country which are widely considered to be all but controlled by the drug cartels.