MEXICO · SECURITY
Key Facts
- The country Mexico is the United States’ southern neighbour; Washington listed the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organisation in February 2025.
- What happened More than 20,000 members of Mexico’s armed forces remain deployed in Sinaloa, the state’s governor said on Sunday, 18 October.
- Where The force covers all 20 municipalities, with the most attention on Culiacán, Mazatlán, Navolato and Escuinapa.
- The violence A local daily counts 4,062 intentional homicides since a cartel war began on 9 September 2024, and 130 violent deaths so far in October.
- What is unknown No new order, schedule or exact headcount was announced, so the size of the force on any given day is unclear.
Mexico’s armed forces have kept more than 20,000 troops in Sinaloa, the Pacific-coast state at the centre of a war between two cartel factions, its governor said on Sunday, 18 October. Governor Graciela Domínguez Nava said the force must stay because violence has narrowed to a few places but has not ended.
Sinaloa is the home of the Sinaloa Cartel, which US officials describe as a major supplier of fentanyl. That makes the troops’ results a question for US readers as much as for Mexicans.
Troops Stay in All 20 Municipalities
Domínguez Nava said the federal presence covers all 20 of Sinaloa’s municipalities, with most attention on the four where the security situation is most complex. She said the force must stay so that the federal strategy can continue, and she credited President Claudia Sheinbaum with her commitment to the state.
The governor said she knows more work remains. She gave no breakdown by army, navy or National Guard, no deployment schedule and no precise headcount.
Governor Points to Car Thefts, Data Point to Killings
Domínguez Nava said car theft has fallen sharply and that killings now occur in a more concentrated way, no longer spread across several cities. She attributed that to the containment strategy of the authorities, but gave no figures for the decline.
Noroeste, a Sinaloa daily that keeps a running count from official sources and its own reporting, tells a harsher story for homicides. It counts 4,062 intentional homicides between 9 September 2024 and 18 October 2026, and 130 violent deaths in October through 18 October, or 7.2 a day.
Noroeste also reports 4,525 abduction complaints filed with the state prosecutor over the same period. Its count for the week ending 18 October was 44 violent deaths, or 6.3 a day.
Prison Riots Raised the Pressure
On 8 October, a riot at the El Castillo prison in Mazatlán killed nine inmates and a two-year-old child visiting a relative, and wounded 16 people. A second disturbance on 9 October killed two more inmates, bringing the toll to 12 over two days, as our reports on the first riot and the second riot described.
Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s federal security secretary, announced on 10 October that a new federal prison would be built in Sinaloa. The state’s own security secretary said on 7 October that about 9,000 federal, state and municipal personnel were operating in Sinaloa, and he acknowledged that killings in Mazatlán had not been contained.
The 9,000 and the 20,000 come from different dates and may count different forces, so they should not be set side by side. Both figures show that the state relies heavily on outside security forces.
What It Means for US Readers
For US readers, the numbers show that a large military presence has not ended the violence in a state whose main cartel Washington treats as a terrorist group. The US State Department rates Sinaloa Level 4, “Do not travel”, and travellers should check its advisory before any trip.
Our report on an alleged cartel financier arrested in Villa Unión and our coverage of 48 drones seized in Sinaloa show how the fight continues on several fronts. More Mexico coverage is on our Mexico page.
What Is Not Known
The exact number of troops in Sinaloa is not known, because the governor gave a rounded figure with no breakdown by force. It is also unclear whether all of them are stationed in the state permanently or rotate in.
Whether the deployment will be enlarged, reduced or reorganised was not stated. The causes of the October rise in killings in Mazatlán have not been officially explained.
Sources
Noroeste, governor’s statement, 18 October · Noroeste, daily violence report, 19 October · Uno TV, Sinaloa security secretary, 7 October · Crónica, El Castillo prison riot · Expansión, second disturbance
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
How many troops are deployed in Sinaloa?
Governor Graciela Domínguez Nava said on 18 October that more than 20,000 armed-forces personnel remain deployed in Sinaloa. She gave no breakdown by unit.
Has the deployment reduced violence in Sinaloa?
The governor says car theft has fallen sharply and that killings are now more concentrated. Noroeste’s count shows 130 violent deaths in October through 18 October, so killings continue.
What happened at the Mazatlán prison?
On 8 October a riot at El Castillo prison killed nine inmates and a two-year-old child, and wounded 16 people. Two more inmates died in a second disturbance on 9 October.
Where are the troops concentrated?
The force covers all 20 municipalities of Sinaloa. Most attention goes to Culiacán, Mazatlán, Navolato and Escuinapa.