A contingent of 900 Mexican Army troops arrived in the early hours of Thursday at the port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, as part of a security reinforcement in response to a series of armed attacks in recent weeks.

City Clerk Moisés Ríos Pérez said the newly arrived soldiers bring the total number of troops for the enhanced security operations to more than 1,300.

Ríos explained that the Public Security and Defense Ministries, and other authorities involved in daily security meetings, are working on accommodating the new troops before defining their operational deployment.

“Nine hundred arrived at midnight yesterday; we are struggling to relocate them at the moment,” Ríos told local media. “But we’re hoping that with this new number we can now deploy them throughout the municipality . . .  to prevent more [violence].” 

The security reinforcement, a joint effort among federal, state and municipal authorities,  comes in response to a surge in violence that has marked the start of the summer holiday season in the port city and tourist destination. 

Between July 12 and 18, local media reported Mazatlán recorded seven homicides and one femicide, in addition to a shooting and suspected explosive attack on a home. On July 17 and 18 alone, six armed attacks were reported in less than 24 hours, leaving four dead and three wounded. Days later, between July 22 and 23, five more people were murdered in less than a day.

Investigations by the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) are underway to clarify the homicides and to identify the victims and the perpetrators.

The climate of violence stems from the conflict between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel following the arrest and extradition two years ago of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the former leader of the criminal organization. 

Since September 2024, Mazatlán has been the scene of armed attacks, kidnappings, disappearances, and murders.

Some of the new personnel will be stationed in areas such as Germán Evers and Urías, while another group will guard the federal highways leading to Durango and Nayarit. The effort aims to protect both residents and tourists arriving at the destination during peak season.

With reports from Infobae, Noroeste and Los Noticeristas