Otra Banda de Badiraguato Airport

The airstrip was shut down as part of the Mexican government's efforts to combat drug trafficking. Its location in the municipality of Badiraguato, the heart of the 'Golden Triangle' and a stronghold of the Sinaloa Cartel, made it a strategic asset for illicit activities. The closure was a direct result of military or law enforcement action to disrupt the cartel's logistical chain by destroying infrastructure used for transporting narcotics, weapons, and personnel.

Based on satellite imagery, the site is abandoned and unusable. The former dirt runway is clearly visible but is overgrown with vegetation and shows significant signs of erosion and disuse. It has not been converted for any other purpose (e.g., agriculture or construction) and remains a derelict strip of land in a remote, rural area. It is unfit for any aviation operations.

The airport's significance is entirely linked to its role in the illegal drug trade. It was not a facility for public or general aviation. As a clandestine airstrip, it served as a vital logistical node for the Sinaloa Cartel. Operations would have consisted of small, rugged Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft, such as Cessna 206s or similar models, capable of operating from short, unpaved runways. These aircraft would transport processed drugs (like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine) out of the remote, mountainous production areas of the Sierra Madre Occidental to larger staging points for subsequent shipment to the United States.

There are zero prospects for this site to be reopened as a legitimate, officially sanctioned airport. Its historical use for narco-trafficking and its strategic location ensure that Mexican authorities will continue to monitor it to prevent its reconstruction and reuse by criminal organizations. Any attempt to make the airstrip operational again would be considered an illicit act and would likely be met with swift and forceful intervention by the Mexican military.