Plan Kukulkan: Mexico Unveils 100,000-Person World Cup Security Deployment

Mexico finalized its World Cup 2026 security plan dubbed 'Plan Kukulkan' — named after the Mayan serpent deity. The plan deploys nearly 100,000 security personnel across the three host cities of Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey: 20,000 military troops, 55,000 police officers, 2,500 vehicles, 24 aircraft, anti-drone systems, and bomb-detection dogs. The deployment runs June 11–July 19, 2026. Analysts at Chatham House noted Mexico's anti-cartel security posture is partly designed to prove to the Trump administration that Mexico is serious about security cooperation ahead of the USMCA renegotiation.