06/17/26 04:36:00
Printable Page
06/17 16:35 CDT Mexican military brings down drone near South Korea soccer
training camp in Guadalajara
Mexican military brings down drone near South Korea soccer training camp in
Guadalajara
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) --- Mexican military forces intercepted and brought down a
drone that flew near the South Korean national team's training camp in the
central city of Guadalajara, where the team is preparing for its opening World
Cup match against Mexico, a federal official told The Associated Press on
Wednesday.
Military forces used specialized equipment to detect an "unregistered drone"
near the South Korean training camp, prompting them to "neutralize" it, a
Mexican federal agent said speaking on condition of anonymity because they were
not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.
The operation was part of a security plan involving military and local police
forces for the soccer tournament, which kicked off last week in Mexico City and
is being held across Mexico, the United States and Canada through July 19.
The official did not say when the incident occurred or whether any arrests were
made. He said only that several drones had been neutralized in recent days
after attempting to enter security zones around stadiums in Mexico City,
Guadalajara and Monterrey --- the tournament's three host cities in Mexico ---
as well as team base camps and fan festivals.
In March, Mexican authorities announced a World Cup security plan known as
"Plan Kukulkn," involving about 100,000 personnel from federal and local
military and police forces. The plan includes early warning systems, security
measures at stadiums, airports, roads and hotels, and protection protocols for
teams, officials and fans.
In Canada, authorities have banned unauthorized drones from flying over World
Cup stadiums and several training sites in Vancouver and Toronto as a security
measure. The restrictions remain in effect until July 7.
In 2024, the Canadian women's national team was accused of using a drone to
allegedly spy on a New Zealand training session in the days leading up to their
opening match at the Paris Olympics, triggering a spying scandal that led to
sanctions against Canada.
The scandal led to the suspension of two coaching staff members and head coach
Bev Priestman, who was subsequently dismissed by Canada Soccer. The Canadian
women's team --- the reigning champions from the Tokyo Games --- was deducted
six points from its group standings in France.
Canada Soccer later determined that the incident was not an isolated error but
part of a pattern of insufficient oversight within the national teams.
___
Associated Press sports writer Anne M. Peterson contributed from Vancouver.
|