Mexico on permanent alert over potential Colombian traffickers at 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

AFP reports that Mexico, a co-host of the 2026 World Cup, is on permanent alert over the potential arrival of Colombian drug traffickers, a risk seen acutely in Jalisco and its biggest city, Guadalajara, where matches are scheduled.

The tournament will run from 11 June to 19 July across Mexico, the United States and Canada. Authorities are monitoring the possibility that Colombians working with cartels could enter the country.

Roberto Alarcon, Jalisco’s general strategic security coordinator, said some Colombian citizens unable to justify their presence in the state had already been sent back. He added that people had arrived seeking to be recruited by a cartel.

The authorities have noted increasing involvement of former foreign military personnel, notably Colombians, within Mexican cartels.

Guadalajara, the state capital and Mexico’s second largest city with 3.5 million residents, expects tens of thousands of visitors and fears criminal groups could exploit the influx to infiltrate. More than 2000 surveillance cameras, drones and counter-drone systems are planned to secure the World Cup period.

Source: L'Équipe