Riot at prison in Mazatlan, Mexico's Sinaloa state, leaves 10 dead and 16 injured
In short
A riot broke out during family visiting hours on Thursday at the El Castillo Penitentiary in Mazatlan, in Mexico's Sinaloa state. Sinaloa's Public Security Secretariat said nine inmates and one family member were killed and 16 prisoners were taken for medical treatment. Mexico's federal security cabinet said the prison, which houses 1,800 inmates, is now "under control."
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A riot broke out during family visiting hours on Thursday at the El Castillo Penitentiary in the port city of Mazatlan, in Mexico's northwestern state of Sinaloa, state authorities said, according to the Associated Press. Sinaloa's Public Security Secretariat said on X that nine inmates and one family member were killed in the incident, while 16 prisoners were taken for medical treatment after being injured. Reuters also reported that the riot left 10 dead. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The violence occurred Thursday morning. Local media reported that inmates used firearms during the fight, the AP said, but authorities have not yet said how the deaths occurred. [ 2 , 3 ]
Following the clash, members of the army, National Guard, navy and state security forces entered the prison to restore order. Mexico's federal security cabinet said the prison, which houses 1,800 inmates, is now "under control." [ 2 , 3 ]
According to analysts cited by the AP, overcrowding, driven in part by the use of pretrial detention, which keeps thousands of prisoners behind bars without a sentence, combined with insufficient prison staff, has fueled corruption and violence inside prisons. Last May, a riot broke out at a prison in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, leaving seven inmates dead and another injured. Mexico has 276 prisons, including 14 federal penitentiaries and 249 state prisons, and the prison population reached 261,388 people as of February, according to official figures. [ 2 , 3 ]
Violence erupted in Sinaloa in September 2024 amid an internal power struggle between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, pitting the sons of convicted former drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, known as "Los Chapitos," against followers of another detained former cartel leader, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. The riot comes as Mexico's government faces pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on cartels. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The riot follows a prison riot in Culiacan last May that left seven inmates dead, and analysts cited by the AP link overcrowding and insufficient staff to corruption and violence inside prisons. It comes as Mexico's government faces pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on cartels.
Key facts
- The riot broke out during family visiting hours on Thursday morning at the El Castillo Penitentiary in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Sinaloa's Public Security Secretariat said nine inmates and one family member were killed. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Reuters reported that the riot left 10 dead. [ 1 ]
- 16 prisoners were taken for medical treatment after being injured, the secretariat said. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Army, National Guard, navy and state security forces entered the prison to restore order. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Mexico's federal security cabinet said the prison, which houses 1,800 inmates, is now "under control." [ 2 , 3 ]
- Authorities have not yet said how the deaths occurred. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How the deaths occurred. The AP report says authorities have not yet said how the deaths occurred.
- Whether inmates used firearms during the fight. This was reported by local media, according to the AP, and has not been stated by authorities.
- What triggered the riot. None of the documents gives a cause.
- Nine inmates and one family member were killed and 16 prisoners were injured, according to Sinaloa's Public Security Secretariat. Reported by a single source so far
- The riot took place at the El Castillo Penitentiary in Mazatlan. Reported by a single source so far
- Mexico's federal security cabinet said the prison is now "under control." Reported by a single source so far