The Narco Blog

10 Dead, Including a Child Visiting Family, in Riot at Mazatlán’s El Castillo Prison, Where Guards Heard Gunfire — 9 Inmates Killed, 16 Injured

By The Narco Blog · October 8, 2026 · Updated October 8, 2026

Ten people were killed on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in a riot inside the El Castillo prison in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, during family visiting hours. Nine were inmates and one was a minor who had come to visit a relative, Sinaloa’s Public Security Secretary Sinuhé Téllez López said, according to Luz Noticias, Infobae and El Universal. Sixteen more inmates were injured. Authorities say the prison is back under control, and visits are suspended until further notice.

Gunfire, helicopters and riot police

Luz Noticias reported that the incident was reported around 10:30 a.m. El Universal described it as happening in the afternoon. Guards heard gunshots inside the prison, which set off alerts, El Universal and Publimetro reported. State police and a National Guard prison-inspection unit then went in while a Navy helicopter circled overhead. Luz Noticias said a Navy riot squad reached the prison at 2 p.m. and Téllez went inside with an armored escort. The Army and National Guard reinforced the perimeter.

The death toll rose through the day. El Universal first reported six dead and 15 injured, and Luz Noticias gave a preliminary count of six dead and 18 injured. The state Public Security Secretariat later confirmed 10 dead and 16 injured. Expansión’s report of the official statement describes the 10th victim only as “a family visitor.” Officials have not identified the dead, explained how the minor died or said what started the violence. The state prosecutor’s office is investigating, and none of the outlets attributed the riot to any criminal group.

Families left waiting at the gate

Relatives gathered outside from the morning on, demanding a list of the dead and injured. “Since ten in the morning we’ve been here, ten-thirty,” one mother told Luz Noticias, saying they were only told to check the hospitals themselves.

Relatives of inmates gather outside the 'Alto Total' gate of El Castillo prison in Mazatlán seeking information after the riot — Relatives of inmates wait outside El Castillo prison in Mazatlán for news on Oct. 8, 2026. Photo via Luz Noticias.

Local outlet Luz Noticias’ video report from outside the prison:

A deadly year at El Castillo

Infobae counted earlier deaths at the prison this year. On Sept. 24, two inmates died after an attack with a sharp object in the workshop area. Two other inmates were found dead in their modules on June 26 and Aug. 26, and both cases are being treated as probable suicides. For the wider picture of violence in the port city, see our Mazatlán safety page.

Sources

Reported Oct. 8, 2026, from the outlets above and the Sinaloa Public Security Secretariat’s statements as they reported them. The victims have not been identified, the cause of the riot is unknown, and the toll may change.