Gunmen Shoot 2 Police Officers on the Road to Mazatlán’s Airport — One in Surgery — as Sinaloa Says Flights Are Normal and No Officer Is Missing
Gunmen shot two Mazatlán municipal police officers early Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, on the highway to Mazatlán’s international airport, the main road in and out of the Sinaloa beach city for U.S. and Canadian tourists. Sinaloa’s Public Security Secretariat (SSP) said the situation was under control and the airport was “operating normally” for passengers with scheduled flights, Noroeste and Infobae reported. One officer is stable. The other went into surgery.
What happened on the airport road
The SSP announced the attack on X at 6:27 a.m., Noroeste reported, and said a joint state-federal task force had been sent to the area. According to Noroeste, the shooting happened on the Carretera Internacional near El Castillo, close to the airport turnoff, and was followed by a chase. A bullet-marked sedan believed to have carried the attackers was left in brush on the southbound side of the highway. The attackers reportedly ran off on foot through an overgrown lot near the Santa Fe subdivision.
The wounded officers, a man and a woman, drove their shot-up patrol car to a Bomberos Veteranos fire station, where paramedics treated them before they were taken to a hospital, Noroeste and Los Noticieristas reported. Los Noticieristas said the road also leads to Isla de la Piedra, a beach area popular with visitors.
Early reports said a third officer could not be found. Mazatlán’s municipal security department later said no officer was missing, according to Infobae and Los Noticieristas. No arrests had been reported by Saturday afternoon, and authorities have not named a suspect or a criminal group.
La #SSPSinaloa informa que, este sábado 3 de octubre de 2026, se registró una agresión a personal de la Policía Municipal en inmediaciones de la carretera que conduce al aeropuerto Internacional de #Mazatlán, por lo que se desplegó de inmediato el Grupo Interinstitucional a la…
— Seguridad Pública Sinaloa (@sspsinaloa1) October 3, 2026
Sinaloa’s Public Security Secretariat announced the attack on X on Saturday morning.
A violent start to October in Mazatlán
Hours earlier, on Friday night, gunmen opened fire on two men outside a home at Venustiano Carranza and Ricardo Flores Magón streets in Mazatlán’s Salvador Allende neighborhood. One man died at the scene, and José “N,” 25, died later in hospital, Luz Noticias reported. Authorities have not linked the two attacks.
Infobae noted that on Sept. 25, Mexico’s Security Cabinet reported eight arrests in seven operations around Mazatlán. Those arrested included men authorities tied to cells of La Mayiza (Los Mayos) and Los Chapitos. Travelers can find current advisories on our Mazatlán safety page.
Sources
- Noroeste, “Atacan a policías municipales en Mazatlán cerca del entronque al aeropuerto,” Oct. 3, 2026
- Infobae, “Violencia en Sinaloa sin freno: atacan a policías de Mazatlán cerca del aeropuerto de la ciudad turística,” Oct. 3, 2026
- Los Noticieristas (Cecilia Barrón), “Uno de los policías está estable y otro permanece en cirugía tras agresión cerca del aeropuerto de Mazatlán,” Oct. 3, 2026
- Luz Noticias (Enrique Chan), “Aumenta a dos el número de muertos en ataque armado en la Salvador Allende, Mazatlán,” Oct. 2, 2026
- Secretaría de Seguridad Pública de Sinaloa (@sspsinaloa1) on X, Oct. 3, 2026
- Photos: Noroeste, via Noroeste
Reported Oct. 3, 2026, from the outlets above and Sinaloa’s Public Security Secretariat. Officials have not given the officers’ names or explained what led to the attack, and the details of the chase and escape come from Noroeste.