Mexican authorities on Friday announced a plan to deploy 100,000 security forces this summer in a bid to stabilize the country and safeguard this year’s World Cup tournament after the killing of a top cartel leader.
The sweeping mobilization is a direct response to a surge in nationwide cartel violence that erupted nearly two weeks ago in retaliation for the drug kingpin’s death, fueling skepticism over whether Mexico can protect the millions of fans expected to attend the world’s largest sporting event.
Gen. Román Villalvazo, the Mexican military leader who will oversee the country’s World Cup security operations, outlined the safety plans during a news conference on Friday morning.
In all, the Mexican government said it would rely on about 100,000 security force members, drawing ranks from the military, members of Mexico’s security ministry and private security firms. The forces will be heavily concentrated in the three host cities — Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey — and be supplemented by roughly 200 police bomb-sniffing dogs.
The government will also deploy more than 2,100 military vehicles, 24 aircraft and 33 drones, General Villalvazo said. He added that Mexican officials would set up security perimeters around points of interest in places like Guadalajara, including its airport and stadium.
“As you can see, we are very prepared for the World Cup,” President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said at the news conference.
Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco State, is the stronghold of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the group once led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the drug lord known as El Mencho, who was killed in a Mexican military operation on Feb. 22.
After his death, armed groups unleashed a wave of violence in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states, attacking security forces, blocking highways and setting fire to businesses and vehicles. At least 62 people in total were killed.
Since then, some tourists and national soccer teams slated to play in Mexico have expressed concern about traveling to the country.
The World Cup “represents an unprecedented event,” General Villalvazo said, which will require the Mexican government to confront any national security threat and to “show a reliable, secure and organized Mexico.”
Mexican security forces began specialized training in January, he said, and they planned to carry out exercises later this month.
The World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Mexico will hold 13 World Cup games: five in Mexico City, the capital, and four each in Monterrey and Guadalajara. The country will be the first to host the World Cup three times. The five-week tournament will begin on June 11 when the Mexican national team plays against South Africa in Mexico City.
But before then, four qualifying matches will be held later this month in Monterrey and Guadalajara.
Mexican and FIFA officials have sought to project calm and have insisted that the World Cup in Mexico wasn’t in jeopardy.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. But after Mr. Oseguera’s killing, the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, said his organization had “total confidence” in Mexico and Ms. Sheinbaum’s government.
On Wednesday, Mexican officials from the federal government and the three host sites met with FIFA representatives to coordinate security plans.
Mexico, which is already in the top 10 of most-visited countries in the world, received nearly 50 million international tourists last year. Officials say they expect nearly 5.5 million visitors for the World Cup.
As a result, Mexican officials have mounted publicity campaigns to promote safety and dispel disinformation.
The tourism offices of the states of Guerrero, Jalisco and Quintana Roo — the last being home to beach destinations like Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum — have been posting video testimonials from tourists saying how safe they felt in the days after Mr. Oseguera’s killing.
“Something did happen,” Michelle Fridman, Jalisco State’s tourism secretary, said in an interview last week. “We’re not denying it, and we also understand the unsettlement that an unusual incident like this generates because it’s not something that happens every day.”
But, she said, the government’s response was quick and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City lifted its travel restrictions in three days.
“We are obviously hoping to regain people’s trust,” Ms. Fridman said.
James Wagner covers news and culture in Latin America for The Times. He is based in Mexico City.
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