10 killed and 16 injured in prison riot in Mexico’s Sinaloa state

A clash at El Castillo Penitentiary in Mazatlán, in Mexico’s Sinaloa state, left 10 people dead and 16 inmates injured during family visiting hours on Thursday, Oct. 8, state authorities said. Nine of the dead were inmates; the tenth was a family visitor. Officials have not said what caused the deaths. Local outlets reported that firearms were used, but that detail has not been independently confirmed by authorities. Federal and state security forces entered the prison after the violence. Mexico’s federal security cabinet said the facility, which holds about 1,800 people, was under control. Reuters reported that prosecutors will investigate the incident. The riot happened amid years of cartel-related violence in Sinaloa, but authorities have not said the prison clash was connected to the conflict between rival Sinaloa Cartel factions. A separate riot at a prison in Culiacán killed seven inmates in May. The two incidents should not be treated as part of the same operation without evidence. Sources: [The Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/mexico-prison-riot-sinaloa-cartel-mazatlan-el-castillo-52c921dbc5e849acd44ce07546ae6f20), [Reuters](https://theprint.in/world/prison-riot-in-violence-plagued-mexican-state-leaves-10-dead/3066234/), [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/mexico-prison-clash-in-strife-torn-sinaloa-state-leaves-10-dead).