Mexican city set to host 2026 games erupts in violence after army kills the leader of a powerful drug cartel.
The city of Guadalajara erupted with cartel violence this past weekend, alongside other parts of Mexico, after a notorious drug lord was killed in an army raid.
Now, Guadalajara is looking ahead nervously to the FIFA World Cup this June and July, during which it will host four games.
Authorities are turning to technology to keep their slice of the planet’s premier sporting event safe, as Mexico is cohosting the tournament with the United States and Canada.
Drones, anti-drone equipment and AI-driven video surveillance systems are some of the tools the government of Jalisco state, of which Guadalajara is the capital, will deploy to provide security.
The preparations come as Jalisco endures an epidemic of disappearances and the discovery of clandestine graves, with Guadalajara having more of its residents go missing due to brutal drug-related violence than any other city in Mexico.
On Sunday, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of the most wanted men in Mexico and the US, was killed in a military operation some 130km (80 miles) from Guadalajara.
The cartel reacted with fury, triggering gunfire with security forces that killed at least 57 people across Mexico, including soldiers and cartel members, as well as highway blockades in 20 states.
Following the burning of buses and businesses, authorities suspended football games in Guadalajara and the central state of Queretaro.
Football’s world governing body, FIFA, declined to comment on the violence in one of the cup’s host cities.
On Monday, the streets of Guadalajara remained almost empty, as businesses stayed shut and classes were suspended in Jalisco. Schools were also shut down in a dozen other states.
