MEXICO, MEXICO, March 25, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Two men accused of numerous crimes including the murder of two children in the troubled Mexican state of Sinaloa have been arrested, the government said Monday.

Brothers Gael and Alexander Sarmiento, 12 and nine years old, were killed alongside their father in January after being caught in a shootout in Sinaloa's capital Culiacan.

The detained suspects were identified as Juan Carlos "N" and Jesse Kevin "N," accused of being involved in crimes ranging from kidnapping to drug and arms trafficking.

The investigation found Juan Carlos took part "in an attack on a family traveling in a vehicle" that resulted in the child deaths, said a joint statement from the National Guard, defence, navy and security ministries and federal prosecutor's office.

Culiacan has been ravaged since September by a war between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful which the United States has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

The deaths of the two children sparked outrage among Culiacan residents, who marched in their thousands in January to demand justice.

The arrests came during searches of three properties where 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of cocaine, crystal meth, 10 weapons including ammunition, and six vehicles were found, Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch wrote on social media platform X.

"This is a result of the strengthening of security in Sinaloa," he said.

More than 124,000 people have been officially registered as missing in Mexico, mostly since 2006 when the government declared war on drug cartels.

Around 480,000 people have been murdered in that time.