New Prison for Sinaloa After 12 Die at Mazatlán’s El Castillo — Prosecutor Says the Dead Still Aren’t Formally Identified, 8 Wounded Remain Hospitalized
Sinaloa will get a new prison paid for with federal money, Interim Gov. Graciela Domínguez Nava announced on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, a day after a shooting at El Castillo prison in Mazatlán killed nine inmates and a 2-year-old boy, and hours after a second fight there killed two more. That makes 12 dead in two days. State Attorney General Claudia Zulema Sánchez Kondo said the bodies had not yet been formally identified, Infobae reported.
A new prison, but no site, price or date
A state statement quoted by Infobae and El Universal said the governor authorized a new prison “with federal investment.” She called it “an advance” that strengthens “security and justice institutions in the state.” Infobae said the announcement came alongside federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo and Navy Secretary Adm. Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles. The state did not give a location, cost, capacity or start date, El Universal and Infobae reported. La Silla Rota said land in Culiacán is being considered.
What the prosecutor said
“I don’t have data yet on the identities of the people who died,” Sánchez Kondo said, according to Infobae. She said identification depends on families coming forward at the Mazatlán morgue. On Oct. 8, Luz Noticias and Noroeste had published the names of nine dead inmates from a state list, which we reported. Infobae’s report does not mention that list. She said ballistic evidence points to both handguns and long guns in Thursday’s shooting, and a homicide case is open. Friday’s two victims were killed with a sharp weapon, and there is no sign so far that the two fights are connected, Infobae reported.
Infobae now puts the wounded at 17, not the 16 first reported. Nine have been discharged and eight remain in the hospital. In a separate report, it said families blocked highways on Friday afternoon demanding information.
Human rights commission opens its own inquiry
Sinaloa’s State Human Rights Commission (CEDH) “strongly” condemned the violence and said it revealed “multiple violations” of inmates’ human rights, Infobae reported. It asked prison officials to act urgently to restore security and “governability.” It also called on prosecutors to investigate effectively, and said it had issued protective measures for inmates. Earlier, El Financiero reported, citing unnamed security sources, that Thursday’s gunmen were after an alleged Los Chapitos member. Officials have described it as a fight between inmates. For conditions in the port city, see our Mazatlán safety page.
Milenio’s Oct. 8 video report on Thursday’s clash:
Sources
- Infobae (Miguel Flores): Cuerpos de 12 internos asesinados en penal de Mazatlán no han sido identificados (Oct. 9, 2026)
- Infobae (Juan Castillo): Derechos Humanos de Sinaloa pide acciones urgentes en el penal de Mazatlán (Oct. 9, 2026)
- El Universal (Javier Cabrera Martínez): Con inversión federal, anuncian construcción de nuevo centro penitenciario en Sinaloa (Oct. 9, 2026)
- La Silla Rota (Ramón Aispuro): Anuncia construcción de nuevo penal en Sinaloa tras 12 muertos en riña (Oct. 9, 2026)
- Photos: Fausto Mcconegly/EFE and Carlos López/Cuartoscuro, via Infobae. Video: Milenio on YouTube.
Reported Oct. 9, 2026, from the outlets above and officials’ statements as they reported them. The Narco Blog has not independently confirmed these details. No one has been charged, the cause of the fights is still under investigation, and casualty figures may change.