Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, August 12, 2026 – State and federal security teams began another inspection Wednesday inside the Centro Integral de Justicia Regional Costa Norte, marking the seventh review since 23 inmates escaped during the violence of February 22.
The operation continued an extraordinary search cycle at the state prison along Highway 544 in Ixtapa. Previous inspections have covered cells, common areas, workshops and other parts of the complex where prohibited objects may be stored.
The repeated searches began after the February 22 prison break, when an armed group attacked the facility as inmates rioted inside. Vehicles were used to breach prison access points during the escape, and a corrections officer was killed.
Four escapees were recaptured on February 26. Jalisco’s latest public count, reported near the end of July, placed the number still awaiting recapture at 15.
A separate update said three captured inmates had been located in later operations, two in Zacatecas and one in Puerto Vallarta. The Jalisco Attorney General’s Office assumed control of the investigation in Guadalajara.
The prison response has also included inmate transfers. After three consecutive days of attempted fights and unrest following the escape, seven inmates identified as internal violence risks were moved from Ixtapa to other Jalisco prisons.
Earlier inspections produced repeated contraband seizures. During the fifth sweep on June 17, authorities recovered a hammer, 11 improvised points, 15 sharpened metal pieces, seven pairs of scissors, 90 DVDs, a length of hose and a hollowed-out Bible adapted to conceal objects.
A sixth security sweep conducted July 10 recovered suspected marijuana, tools, electrical cables and electronic equipment. State penitentiary police carried out that inspection with support from the National Guard and federal military personnel.
Wednesday’s operation was the first publicly reported sweep at the Ixtapa prison since July and the seventh conducted in fewer than six months.
