10 killed during a violent prison riot inside El Castillo jail in Mexico

A violent clash inside the Centro Penitenciario de El Castillo (also known as Cecjude) in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, left 10 people dead and 16 injured on Thursday, October 8, 2026, according to the Sinaloa Secretariat of Public Security (SSP Sinaloa).

Nine of the dead were inmates (personas privadas de la libertad). The tenth victim was a minor who was at the facility as a family visitor. The 16 wounded were also inmates; they were transferred for pre-hospital medical care.

The incident occurred during family visiting hours. Reports indicate gunfire erupted inside the prison in the morning (around 10–10:30 a.m.), prompting a rapid response by an inter-institutional security group that included state and federal forces. Authorities later confirmed the facility had been brought under control, with security personnel remaining on site to maintain order.

Sinaloa Public Security Secretary Sinuhé Téllez López stated that the violence was an internal fight among inmates and ruled out any external armed group entering the prison. Short-caliber firearms (9 mm) were recovered inside. The State Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General del Estado) has opened an investigation to determine what happened and assign responsibility.

Social work staff are contacting the families of the deceased. As a preventive measure, all visits to the prison have been suspended. Officials said the rest of the inmate population is unharmed.

The El Castillo prison, located south of Mazatlán, has faced previous violence, including a deadly fight two weeks earlier. It has been reported as overcrowded relative to its official capacity.

SSP Sinaloa posted the official account of the events on its X account (@sspsinaloa1) along with a video statement from the secretary.