Day 747: Gunbattle Interrupts Funeral Mass at Los Mochis Parish as National Guard Pursues Armed Group

A pursuit between National Guard elements and an armed group erupted in the Scally sector of Los Mochis (Ahome municipality) on the night of Sunday, August 9, 2026, as gunfire broke out near the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Fátima during a funeral mass. Father Joel Valdez Villegas instructed congregants to remain calm, close the doors, and shelter in place; no one inside the church was injured. The pursuit ended at the intersection of Boulevard Antonio Rosales and Calle Alfonso Cano, where the suspects' vehicle struck a tree. Eight men — all reportedly armed with automatic rifles — were detained; three were injured in the crash and a fourth sustained a gunshot wound. The Sinaloa Public Security Secretariat said the National Guard, with support from an interinstitutional response group, repelled the attack and brought the situation under control.