Mexican military forces intercepted and brought down a drone that attempted to fly over the vicinity of the South Korean national team’s training camp in Guadalajara, a federal official confirmed to the AP.
Security operation
The action is part of the security plan deployed by local military and police forces during the World Cup, which started last week in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Specialized teams detected an “unregistered drone” near the South Korean concentration area and it was inhibited, according to a federal agent who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The official did not specify when it occurred or if there were arrests. He only indicated that in recent days several drones that tried to enter security zones in stadiums in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, as well as team concentrations and fan festivals, have been inhibited.
Kukulkan Plan
Mexican authorities announced Plan Kukulkan in March, with some 100,000 federal and local military and police forces. It includes early warnings, perimeter security in stadiums, airports, roads and hotels, and protection for delegations and attendees.
International context
Canada banned unauthorized drones over World Cup stadiums and training centers in Vancouver and Toronto until July 7. The measure was adopted after an incident at the Paris Olympics, when the Canadian women’s team was accused of using a drone to allegedly monitor a New Zealand training session.
That case led to the suspension of two members of the coaching staff and the dismissal of coach Bev Priestman. The team, the current Tokyo champion, was deducted six points in the group stage in France. The Canadian Soccer Federation considered that it was not an isolated error, but part of a pattern of insufficient oversight.
