06/17/26 07:39:00
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06/17 19:37 CDT Mexican military brings down drone near South Korea's training
camp, coach says it is 'unfortunate'
Mexican military brings down drone near South Korea's training camp, coach says
it is 'unfortunate'
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ and TALES AZZONI
Associated Press
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) --- Mexican military forces intercepted and brought
down a drone that flew near the South Korean national soccer team's training
camp ahead of its World Cup match against Mexico, a federal official told The
Associated Press on Wednesday.
Military forces used specialized equipment to detect an "unregistered drone"
near the South Korean camp, prompting them to "neutralize" it, the Mexican
federal agent said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized
to discuss the incident publicly.
Co-host Mexico won its opening Group A match at the World Cup on Thursday while
South Korea beat the Czech Republic later that same day. It wasn't clear if the
drone was trying to spy on the South Korean team ahead of Thursday's match
between the teams.
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo called the incident "unfortunate."
"Yesterday (Tuesday), during our training, there was a drone in the sky that we
came to know about the fact," Hong said through a translator. "But fortunately,
it was right before we practiced our tactics, so it did not impact us. But
while we were preparing for the match, that was the most important timing, so
what happened was unfortunate."
The Mexican operation was part of a security plan involving military and local
police forces for the soccer tournament, which kicked off last week in Mexico
City and is being co-hosted by the United States and Canada through July 19.
The official did not say when the incident occurred or whether any arrests were
made. He said only that several drones had been neutralized in recent days
after attempting to enter security zones around stadiums in Mexico City,
Guadalajara and Monterrey --- the tournament's three host cities in Mexico ---
as well as team base camps and fan festivals.
In March, Mexican authorities announced a World Cup security operation known as
"Plan Kukulkn," involving about 100,000 personnel from federal and local
military and police forces. The plan includes early warning systems, security
measures at stadiums, airports, roads and hotels, and protection protocols for
teams, officials and fans.
In Canada, authorities have banned unauthorized drones from flying over World
Cup stadiums and several training sites in Vancouver and Toronto as a security
measure. The restrictions remain in effect until July 7 --- the date of the
last game scheduled to be staged in the country.
In 2024, the Canadian women's national team was accused of using a drone to spy
on a New Zealand training session in the days leading up to their opening match
at the Paris Olympics, triggering a spying scandal that led to sanctions
against Canada.
The scandal led to the suspension of two coaching staff members and head coach
Bev Priestman, who was subsequently dismissed by Canada Soccer. The Canadian
women's team --- the reigning Olympic champions from the Tokyo Games --- was
deducted six points from its group standings in France.
Canada Soccer later determined that the incident was not an isolated error but
part of a pattern of insufficient oversight within the national teams.
___
Snchez reported from Mexico City. AP Sports Writer Anne M. Peterson in
Vancouver contributed to this report.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
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