Mexico's Secretariat of Defense deployed 1,600 agents this Thursday in the state of Sinaloa (northwest) to reinforce security in the region, following the shooting attack on Wednesday against two opposition deputies in the city of Culiacán. Defense detailed that the deployment began at 08:40 local time (14:40 GMT), and included the aerial transfer of personnel from different points in the country to Culiacán and Mazatlán, as part of the National Public Security Strategy. Of the 1,600 military personnel sent, 90 belong to the Special Forces Corps, who joined the security actions already being carried out by federal forces in the entity, the note pointed out. “The specific mission of the deployed personnel is to act in coordination with the authorities of the three orders of government in the state (entity),” Defense stated. The agency explained that the agents will carry out deterrence, prevention, and patrol duties “to inhibit the illicit activities of criminal groups present in that region of the country.” The increase in military presence in Sinaloa occurs after the shooting attack on Wednesday against legislators from the opposition party Citizen Movement (MC), Elizabeth Montoya and Sergio Torres. The president of MC, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, reported this Thursday that Torres remains in “delicate” condition, while Montoya continues to receive medical attention and lost an eye after the attack. In turn, the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, assured that the Federal Security Cabinet is already “attending” to the armed attack and affirmed that there is coordination with the state government to clarify the facts. Meanwhile, the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha, indicated that an operation to search for and capture those responsible is underway. The state of Sinaloa is experiencing a deep violence crisis since the end of 2024 due to an internal dispute between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, which the United States declared a terrorist group last year.
