Mexico’s Ministry of Defense deployed 1,600 troops to the northwestern state of Sinaloa on Thursday to reinforce security in the region, following Wednesday’s shooting attack against two opposition lawmakers in the city of Culiacán.
The Ministry of Defense detailed that the deployment began at 8:40 a.m. local time (2:40 p.m. GMT) and included the airlift of personnel from various parts of the country to Culiacán and Mazatlán, as part of the National Public Security Strategy.
Of the 1,600 troops deployed, 90 belong to the Special Forces Corps, who joined the security operations already being carried out by federal forces in the state, the statement noted.
“The specific mission of the deployed personnel is to act in coordination with authorities at all three levels of government in the state,” the Ministry of Defense stated.
The agency explained that the agents will carry out deterrence, prevention, and patrol duties “to inhibit the illicit activities of criminal groups with a presence in that region of the country.”
The increased military presence in Sinaloa comes after Wednesday’s shooting attack against legislators Elizabeth Montoya and Sergio Torres of the opposition Citizens’ Movement (MC) party.
MC President Jorge Álvarez Máynez reported Thursday that Torres remains in “critical” condition, while Montoya continues to receive medical attention and lost an eye in the attack.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum assured that the federal Security Cabinet is already “addressing” the armed attack and affirmed that there is coordination with the state government to clarify the facts.
The governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha, stated that a search and capture operation for those responsible is underway.
The state of Sinaloa has been experiencing a deep crisis of violence since the end of 2024 due to an internal struggle between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, which the United States declared a terrorist group last year.
Source: msn
