MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – JUNE 11: Raul Jimenez #9 of Mexico celebrates with teammates after scoring the team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) (NewsNation) — As Mexico co-hosts the World Cup alongside the Unites States and Canada, the country is reportedly seeing a drop in cartel violence.
According to security analyst David Saucedo in an interview with investigative Mexican outlet Aristegui Noticias, drug cartels appear to have quietly agreed to a “World Cup truce” while the tournament is underway. He acknowledged there is no public evidence to confirm a formal agreement.
As reported by the New York Post, Saucedo said prosecutors in several cartel-heavy cities are seeing a drop in homicides and violent incidents since the games kicked off.
Mexico began its World Cup hosting duties on June 11 with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca. That same day, the country recorded 30 murders — the lowest single-day total since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, per government data.
Five days later, homicides dropped to 27, the lowest daily count in a decade. Mexico City and Guadalajara, which are hosting several matches, each reported one homicide. Monterrey, hosting four matches, reported zero.
Saucedo said the calm coincides with a pause in major law enforcement action against cartel leadership. There have been no high-profile arrests or major operations, he said, because going after top traffickers right now could trigger retaliation against the government during the tournament.
A bus set on fire by organized crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, burns at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on February 22, 2026. Armed civilians blocked several roads in the state of Jalisco, in western Mexico, following an operation by federal forces in the town of Tapalpa, local authorities reported. Jalisco, which will host four matches of the upcoming 2026 World Cup, is home to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and has been rocked by several episodes of violence in recent years. (Photo by Ulises Ruiz / AFP via Getty Images) The picture looked very different in February, when cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera-Cervantes was killed during a military capture operation. The violence left 70 people dead and saw cartel gunmen torching vehicles and businesses, the Associated Press reported. At the time, the chaos called into question whether Mexico could host the World Cup matches at all. Guadalajara responded by flooding the city with close to 15,000 security personnel, including National Guard troops with assault rifles posted near stadiums.
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