49 Inmates Moved Out of Sinaloa’s Prisons After 12 Died at Mazatlán’s El Castillo — El Universal Says Inmates Were Flown to a Federal Prison in Chiapas, the 6th Transfer There This Year
Mexican authorities moved 49 inmates out of Sinaloa’s two main prisons, Aguaruto in Culiacán and El Castillo in Mazatlán, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. The move came a week after fights at El Castillo left 12 people dead, including a 2-year-old boy who was visiting. Sinaloa’s Public Security Secretariat (SSP) confirmed the transfers, N+ reported on Oct. 16. El Universal, citing security sources, said a Mexican Air Force plane flew inmates to the federal prison in Villa Comaltitlán, Chiapas.
What officials confirmed, and what they didn’t
N+ said the SSP described the transfers as ordered by the federal prison agency, the Órgano Administrativo Desconcentrado de Prevención y Reinserción Social, and carried out under federal supervision. The state did not say where the inmates went, who they are, or whether they are considered high-risk, N+ reported.
El Universal’s account was republished by Diario de Yucatán on Oct. 16. It said the inmates were flown aboard a Mexican Air Force aircraft to Tapachula’s airport, then driven about 75 kilometers on federal Highway 200 to Federal Prison No. 15 (Cefereso 15) in Villa Comaltitlán. The 36th Military Zone, the Navy, the National Guard and federal and state police guarded the convoy. The same report said some inmates also went to other prisons, without naming them. El Universal described the aim as relieving pressure on Sinaloa’s prisons.
The sixth transfer of 2026
El Universal said this is the sixth time this year that inmates from Sinaloa and Sonora have been sent to Villa Comaltitlán, following transfers in January, June, July, August and September. In all, about 350 prisoners have been moved, it said. N+ listed earlier deaths behind bars. Two inmates were killed at El Castillo on Sept. 24, and seven were killed at Aguaruto on May 31, according to state prosecutors.
The killings come amid the war between the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos and Los Mayos factions that began in September 2024 (see our Sinaloa Cartel profile). Officials have described the Oct. 8 shooting as a fight between inmates. Earlier, El Financiero reported, citing unnamed security sources, that the gunmen were after an alleged Los Chapitos member. Prosecutors are still investigating how guns got inside, N+ said. A new federally funded prison for Culiacán, announced on Oct. 9, still has no budget or start date. For conditions in the port city, see our Mazatlán safety page.
Sources
- N+ (Redacción N+): Trasladan a 49 reos de cárceles en Sinaloa a otros estados luego de riñas (Oct. 16, 2026)
- El Universal, via Diario de Yucatán: Después de riñas, trasladan a 49 presos de Culiacán y Mazatlán a Chiapas y otros penales (Oct. 16, 2026)
- Photos: Cuartoscuro, via N+ and Excélsior
Reported Oct. 18, 2026, from the outlets above and the official statements they cite. The Narco Blog has not independently confirmed these details. Sinaloa officials have not named the transferred inmates or confirmed every destination. No one has been charged in the El Castillo killings, and the investigation is ongoing.