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Seven prisoners have been killed and eleven others injured during a violent disturbance at a prison in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The riot erupted on Saturday afternoon at the Tuxpan correctional facility and escalated overnight. According to the state security ministry, it was not until Sunday morning that Veracruz security forces, with the assistance of the military, were able to enter the prison and restore order.
“In the aftermath of the unrest, we regret to report the deaths of seven inmates and injuries to eleven others,” a statement from the ministry read.
Authorities said that three prisoners were subsequently relocated to another prison within Veracruz, although further details were not released.
Local media suggested the riot began after a group of inmates demanded protection from fellow prisoners alleged to be members of a violent criminal gang. Tensions reportedly boiled over when their safety concerns were not addressed.
Violence linked to organised crime groups and drug cartels frequently spills into Mexico’s prison system, where overcrowding and weak oversight remain persistent issues.
This incident comes just weeks after a similar outbreak of violence at a prison in Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico, where three inmates lost their lives during a riot.
