Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican federal police have arrested five more suspects in the kidnapping of three journalists last month, the state-run news agency reported.
Three additional suspects were arrested last week.
The journalists were reported abducted July 26 and held captive for several days. Federal police rescued two and a third was released.
The kidnappers wanted to use the reporters, who were connected with some of Mexico's largest news organizations, to force the media to transmit messages alleging corruption by some public officials under the influence of rival drug gangs, Mexican federal police Commissioner Facundo Rosas Rosas said at a televised news conference last week.
The journalists -- a reporter and two videographers -- had been covering the arrest of a prison warden in the city of Gomez Palacio in Durango state. The prison director, Margarita Rojas Rodriguez, is accused of letting inmates out at night to commit drug-related slayings.
One of the suspects arrested Thursday was Hector Jesus Flores Gutierrez, who officials say taped and narrated the videos the kidnappers wanted the journalists' TV stations to broadcast, the government's Notimex news agency reported.
Also arrested were Cesar Alejandro Valdez Guerrero; Berenice Hernandez Gonzalez, known as "la Morena;" Edgar Eduardo Cruz Vazquez, alias "el Teco;" and Maciel Cruz Montenegro, Notimex said.
The eight suspects belong to the Pacific Cartel, officials said.
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