Mexican kingpin's brother among seven slain men in western state

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The brother of one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords was among seven dead men found on Friday in a violent western state that has been one of the biggest security headaches for President Enrique Pena Nieto. State prosecutors said the bodies of six men were found shot dead in the city of Uruapan in Michoacan, a state that was a stronghold of the Knights Templar drug cartel until security forces began to dismantle its leadership this year. But Knights Templar leader Servando Gomez remains at large, and a Michoacan government official said his brother Aquiles Gomez was found shot dead in the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas as the government steps up efforts to apprehend the capo. Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico's biggest port by cargo shipped, was one of the gang's main power bases. Officials have told Reuters the government is getting closer to trapping Servando Gomez. Alias La Tuta, the Knights Templars' boss, has been a thorn in the side of the state for several years, delivering a series of messages to the government in videos posted online and even giving some interviews to international media. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by James Dalgleish)