Mexico to build a new prison in Sinaloa after 12 deaths — The Rio Times

Mexico’s federal government will build a new prison in the state of Sinaloa after two days of violence at the El Castillo facility in Mazatlán, where 12 people were killed. Security and Citizen Protection Minister Omar García Harfuch announced the project on October 10 on the instructions of President Claudia Sheinbaum, The Rio Times reports.

According to García Harfuch, the prison will be built with federal funds. He said the new facility should be modern and secure, strengthen control in prisons and help reduce violence in the state. Until construction is completed, El Castillo will be reinforced by National Guard officers and federal prison staff.

Two clashes in two days

The first clash occurred in one of El Castillo’s blocks on the morning of October 8. The Sinaloa State Ministry of Public Security reported the deaths of nine inmates and a two-year-old boy who had come to visit his father during a family visit. At least 16 inmates were injured, while state prosecutor Claudia Zulema Sánchez Kondo later reported 17 injured people.

State and federal forces entered the prison to restore control, and visits to the facility were temporarily suspended. The following day, two inmates were killed in another fight. The Sinaloa Prosecutor’s Office is investigating both incidents, including the circumstances under which weapons entered the facility.

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Details of the new project

Acting Governor of Sinaloa Graciela Domínguez Nava offered land for the new facility. According to her, several potential sites in Culiacán, the state capital, are being considered. Information on the budget, prison capacity and construction start date has not been disclosed.

Federal officials, according to El Universal, believed that the October 8 attack targeted Eduardo Martínez Larios, known as El Owen. He is described as an operator of the Los Chapitos group. As of Friday, the state prosecutor’s office had not officially confirmed his identity among the dead.

Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission gave El Castillo a score of 5.25 out of 10 in its 2025 review. It pointed to a shortage of guards and inadequate separation of inmates awaiting trial from those already convicted.