8 Mexican soldiers arrested over alleged drug cartel 'shootout' that killed 22

MEXICO CITY, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- The Mexican Defense Ministry has brought eight soldiers, including one commander, before a military court to answer questions regarding the shooting deaths of 22 people during an alleged confrontation in June.

The soldiers have been detained on suspicion of "crimes against military discipline, disobedience and violation of official duties," the ministry said in a statement.

Initially, officials reported the June 30 incident as a firefight. In that account, the soldiers were fired upon while on patrol in the southwestern municipality of Tlatlaya, and returned fire on the suspected members of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, killing 22.

The Los Angeles Times reported that journalists who visited the site of the incident observed walls splattered with blood that seemed to suggest the gang members had been executed.

Human rights organizations pressured officials to open an official investigation into the Tlatlaya killings.

The federal attorney general's office and the National Human Rights Commission have begun their own respective investigations.