Mexico increases military presence in Sinaloa amid Sinaloa Cartel's internal war
The federal government announced the deployment of new security contingents to Mazatlán and other strategic areas of the state, as the conflict between factions of the cartel operating in the region continues.
Officers of the Mexican National Guard stand at attention
The Mexican government announced a new security reinforcement in Sinaloa, one of the states most affected by the violence stemming from the dispute between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch announced the deployment of more than 1,800 federal officers to reinforce security operations, particularly in Mazatlán, as well as in Culiacán and along the state's major highway corridors.
The contingent announced by the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection consists of 836 SSPC personnel and 1,000 members of the Secretariat of the Navy, according to the official statement released by that agency.
The reinforcement aims to increase patrols, surveillance and the operational capacity of federal authorities in a state where homicides, clashes and other incidents linked to criminal organizations persist.
">La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional @Defensamx1, la Secretaría de Marina @SEMAR_mx y la Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana @SSPCMexico reforzarán de manera inmediata la seguridad en Mazatlán, por instrucciones de la Presidenta @Claudiashein.
— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) September 15, 2026
Se incorporarán 800…
Defense Ministry sends another 1,600 military personnel
A few hours earlier, the Ministry of National Defense had separately announced the deployment of 1,600 Mexican Army troops specifically to reinforce security in the municipality of Mazatlán.
Of that total, 1,500 soldiers were mobilized from different parts of the country, while another 100 members of the Special Forces Corps were immediately transported from Mexico City aboard a Mexican Air Force Boeing B-727 aircraft.
According to the Ministry of Defense, these troops will join the operations already being carried out by federal, state, and municipal authorities in Sinaloa.
Taken together, the two announcements represent a reinforcement of approximately 3,400 additional troops: more than 1,800 from the SSPC and the navy, and another 1,600 deployed by the army.
Dispute between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel
The escalation of violence intensified following the capture in the United States, in July 2024, of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, one of the cartel's historic founders, along with Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
Since then, various areas of the state—particularly Culiacán and southern Sinaloa—have seen clashes, murders, disappearances and attacks related to the criminal conflict.
Federal authorities have carried out ongoing operations against both criminal organizations. In recent operations, the Security Cabinet has reported arrests and the seizure of weapons, ammunition, vehicles, explosives and drugs in municipalities such as Culiacán, Escuinapa, Concordia and Mazatlán.
Over 1,000 arrested in 2026
The Ministry of National Defense reported that, during 2026, operations against organized crime in Sinaloa have resulted in 1,026 arrests, 2,031 firearms seized and 47.9 metric tons of drugs confiscated.
Security forces have also shut down 672 clandestine laboratories and areas used for narcotics production, according to the official report released alongside the new military deployment.
Despite these operations and the permanent presence of federal forces, violence remains one of the main security challenges facing Sinaloa.
The new deployment of troops represents another attempt by the government of Claudia Sheinbaum to strengthen territorial control and reduce the operational capacity of the criminal groups that are fueling the ongoing conflict within the Sinaloa Cartel.
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