With the World Cup about to start, heavily armed police and National Guard officers are patrolling the streets of Guadalajara as authorities try to reassure visitors and residents that security will not be an issue in a city rocked by cartel violence earlier this year.
Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state, will host four World Cup matches on the opening day on Thursday, including South Korea against the Czech Republic. Mexico is co-hosting the tournament along with the United States and Canada.
Local officials say visitors should not worry despite an outbreak of violence in February following the killing of the country’s most powerful cartel boss by the Mexican military. The operation and waves of violence left 70 people dead as cartel gunmen set fire to cars to block streets and fought with Mexican troops.
“It is important to remember that the state returned to normal in less than 48 hours after the events in February,” Alfonso Briseño, the security coordinator in Jalisco, told The Associated Press ahead of the World Cup. «I invite all tourists, all citizens of other countries, especially those who will play here in Guadalajara… They will be welcome. The Mexican government and the state of Jalisco guarantee their safety.»
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Briseño stressed that Jalisco has not faced any security problems recently and that no resurgence of problems is expected. He said local authorities were prepared to respond quickly if anything happened again.
Nearly 15,000 security personnel have been deployed in the region, including National Guard officers with assault rifles and vehicle-mounted machine guns near the stadium where the games will be played.
«We feel very safe. We are not worried about the same problems as a few months ago,» said Rodolfo Valencia, a 22-year-old resident of Guadalajara. «You see a lot more police on the streets and you have the feeling that there won’t be any problems here. The fact that the World Cup is taking place here has helped because the authorities had to take action and make sure everything went well.»
The state of Jalisco is the central hub of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, whose leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or ‘El Mencho’, was killed in a capture attempt by the military in February.
Security in Guadalajara will be a particular concern during the match between Spain and Uruguay on June 26, which Spain’s King Felipe VI is expected to attend.
More than 100,000 soldiers, Marines, National Guardsmen and police officers were expected to be deployed in the three Mexican host cities – Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey – and in key tourist destinations during the World Cup.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that “the opening ceremony is guaranteed” and “the World Cup will be enjoyed.”
Anti-drone teams, surveillance camera networks, special crowd management units and military and police patrols will operate in Mexican stadiums, fan fests, airports, national team camps and other strategic facilities in coordination with FIFA for the duration of the tournament.
Cartel violence may be less of a problem than street protests by groups trying to take advantage of the World Cup spotlight to cause unrest, traffic disruption and bring central parts of the city to a standstill.
Protesters recently tore down figures of World Cup players, broke into a government building and even played a football match on a closed street.
Teachers, families of Mexico’s 130,000 missing people, animal rights groups and a range of other social movements in Mexico tried to put pressure on the authorities and make demands.
The US Embassy on Tuesday reiterated its travel advice for Americans to reconsider going to Jalisco. It also advised visitors to exercise extreme caution in Mexico City and Nuevo León, where Monterrey is located.
Briseño dismissed concerns about security in the region.
“We are prepared for any contingency,” he said in Guadalajara. “We’re going to be the best location, the most Mexican, the most hospitable and the safest.”
Published on June 11, 2026
