Mexican police have arrested six people in northern Mexico in connection with the killing of director Alejandro Monteverde’s father and brother.
Federal police Chief Francisco Galindo said the arrests were made during an operation on Saturday in the south of Tamaulipas state while the suspects were holding six Central American migrants hostage, according to Fox News Latino.
The gang suspected of the brutal murders has been linked to at least 20 cases of kidnapping or homicide.
“A special mass for our family yesterday in Monterrey with family and friends. We are very grateful for all of your love and support!” Monteverde’s wife, actress Ali Landry, wrote on Twitter Monday.
Juan Manuel Gomez Fernandez and his son, also named Juan Manuel, were kidnapped in Tampico, Mexico, after leaving their home on Sept. 4.
The two men’s bodies were found in Veracruz, Mexico, on Sept. 19. Each had reportedly suffered severe head injuries. A ransom was paid for the pair’s release but the kidnappers didn’t keep their word.
“The events surrounding my family were tragic and what has happened will profoundly affect our lives forever, but my Father in Law was the kind of man that radiated pure joy and it was infectious,” Landry wrote on Instagram last month.
“He loved and adored his family more than anything. He was a jokester, a great dancer, a crier (especially when he was talking about his sons:), and he lived his life in the present, appreciating each moment as a huge blessing. He was my husbands hero and like my second Dad.
“My brother in law was such a hard working business owner. He was an incredible salsa dancer, he was fluent in Japanese and we all looked up to him. When things became dangerous in Tampico a few years ago he moved his family to Estonia, Guadalajara, and then Mcallan Texas just to keep them safe. He was a wonderful friend, an amazing husband, and a great father to his two beautiful children,” she continued.
“This is a painful time, and we are still processing it all. What we have realized is that this journey through grief and loss is a marathon, not a sprint, and the only way to get through it is by the grace of God,” Landry concluded.
Landry is an actress and former Miss USA. She married Monteverde in 2006 and the couple has three children. The two frequently collaborate with actor-producer Eduardo Verástegui to bring faith-based movies to the big screen.
Monteverde, who is originally from Tampico, Mexico, wrote and directed the drama “Bella,” which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.
His most recent film is “Little Boy,” which was released in April and earned $6.5 million at the U.S. box office.