Overview

• Seven inmates were killed and 11 others injured when prisoners clashed at the Taxpan facility in eastern Veracruz on August 2–3.
• Inmates say the unrest began as a protest against extortion and abuse by members of the Grupo Sombra criminal organization.
• Veracruz authorities deployed state and federal security forces to quell the riot and continue to search for concealed weapons within the prison.
• Taxpan prison was holding 778 inmates in June, surpassing its design capacity of 735 and exacerbating tensions.
• Officials have launched investigations into the extortion allegations and are reviewing oversight protocols to prevent further violence.