GUADALAJARA, MEXICO — Mexican military personnel shot down an unregistered drone that was detected flying near South Korea’s national soccer team training facility in Guadalajara, where the squad is gearing up for its first World Cup game against Mexico, a federal official confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Using specialized detection equipment, military forces identified the unauthorized drone approaching the South Korean camp and took action to bring it down, according to a Mexican federal agent who spoke anonymously because they lacked official authorization to comment on the matter.
The drone interception was carried out as part of a broader security operation involving both military and local law enforcement deployed for the ongoing soccer tournament. The competition began last week in Mexico City and runs through July 19 across venues in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
The official declined to specify when exactly the incident took place or whether anyone was taken into custody. The agent did note, however, that multiple drones had been neutralized over recent days after they attempted to breach security perimeters around stadiums in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey — the three Mexican host cities — along with team training camps and fan event areas.
Back in March, Mexican authorities unveiled a World Cup security initiative called “Plan Kukulkán,” which mobilizes roughly 100,000 personnel drawn from federal and local military and police agencies. The plan encompasses early warning detection systems, security measures at stadiums, airports, roadways and hotels, and dedicated protection protocols for teams, officials, and fans attending the tournament.
North of the border in Canada, authorities have implemented a ban on unauthorized drone flights over World Cup stadiums and a number of training locations in Vancouver and Toronto. Those flight restrictions are set to remain in place through July 7.
The drone incident brings to mind a controversy from 2024, when Canada’s women’s national soccer team was accused of deploying a drone to spy on New Zealand’s practice sessions in the days before their opening match at the Paris Olympics. The scandal triggered serious consequences, including the suspension of two coaching staff members and head coach Bev Priestman, who was later let go by Canada Soccer. The Canadian women’s team — defending champions from the Tokyo Games — also had six points deducted from their group stage standings in France.
A subsequent review by Canada Soccer concluded that the spying incident was not a one-time mistake, but rather reflected a broader pattern of inadequate oversight within the national team program.
