Prison riot in Mexico's Sinaloa state leaves 10 dead and 16 injured

The riot at El Castillo

A riot broke out on Thursday at the El Castillo prison, south of Mazatlán in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The facility is about 15 kilometres from the centre of Mazatlán, a coastal tourist city that has suffered from organised crime violence in recent years, according to El País. Local press reported gunfire inside the prison, and El País described the incident as a presumed riot between inmates. The state Secretaría de Seguridad Pública said on X that a brawl had taken place inside the prison facilities, without giving further details. Relatives gathered outside the prison demanding information about their loved ones while visits were suspended.

Casualties and injuries

The state security office said nine prisoners and one visitor were killed, and 16 other inmates were injured, according to Reuters. Europa Press, citing the state security office, reported that among the dead was a minor who had been on a family visit inside the prison at the time. An earlier El País report, citing ministerial sources, had put the toll at at least eight dead and 17 injured. The injured were taken for pre-hospital medical care, and El Universal reported that they left the prison in ten ambulances escorted by federal forces. The most recent official count is ten dead and 16 injured, and the earlier figures were given before the state issued its statement.

Security response

Dozens of Army and police personnel entered the prison carrying long guns and riot shields, and an armoured vehicle and ambulances also arrived, according to DW reporters on the scene. Europa Press reported that the State Preventive Police and a specialised National Guard prison inspection unit went in, with a Navy helicopter flying over the site. State authorities said the joint force had brought the situation under control and that security forces now maintain a permanent presence at the prison. The Army and National Guard reinforced the perimeter outside, and the Fiscalía General del Estado will lead the investigation into what happened and who is responsible. Social workers began contacting the families of those who died.

Sinaloa's wider violence

DW reports that Sinaloa has experienced a prolonged wave of violence since September 2024, linked to a dispute between Los Chapitos and Los Mayos, factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, after Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was captured in the United States. The dispute began in Culiacán and over the following months spread to southern municipalities such as Mazatlán, where authorities have reported homicides, disappearances, armed attacks and seizures of weapons and explosives. Violence has persisted despite successive police operations and the reinforcement of federal troops in the region, with recent deployments to Culiacán and Mazatlán. Before the carnival held last February, the federal government sent 1,600 soldiers to Mazatlán, although some of them went to Culiacán, and announced a special operation with around 3,000 agents from different bodies, according to El País.

What happens next

Prosecutors will investigate the cause of the riot and determine responsibilities. Visits to the El Castillo prison remain suspended until further notice. Authorities said the rest of the inmate population is in good condition. Families of the dead and injured are still waiting for official information from the authorities.