World Cup co-hosts Mexico have announced plans to deploy nearly 100,000 security personnel to protect fans at this summer’s tournament, amid the ongoing drug cartel violence in the country.
Mexico, hosts alongside the United States and Canada, will stage World Cup fixtures across three cities – including Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco where the violence began last month and more than 12,000 people are reported missing.
Mexico will also host matches in Mexico City and Monterrey, both spared by the violence, when the World Cup is held between 11 June and 19 July.
The Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel, one of the country’s most feared criminal organisations, has engaged in gun shootouts with the Mexican military, blocked roads and burned vehicles in response to the killing of its leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes – known as ‘El Mencho’ – in an army operation.
El Mencho was Mexico’s most wanted man and was also sought by the United States, which had placed a $15m bounty on him.
He was buried on Monday in a cemetery near the military base in Zapopan. On Friday, Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum presented her plan to ensure the safe staging of the World Cup.
Fifa and Sheinbaum have insisted that the violence will have no impact on the World Cup, when millions of visitors are expected.
Mexico’s ‘Plan Kukulkan’, named after the serpent deity of the Mayan civilisation, covers the host cities and their nearby tourist destinations and will oversee a security deployment of “just over 99,000 personnel”, according to the head of Mexico’s World Cup coordination centre, Roman Villalvazo Barrios.
That figure includes 20,000 military personnel and 55,000 police officers, as well as members of private security companies, and involves around 2,500 military and civilian vehicles, 24 aircraft, anti-drone systems, and dogs trained to detect explosives and other substances.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has said he feels “very reassured” that Mexico can still successfully stage World Cup games.
