The Brutal Drug Cartels of Mexico Threaten the World Cup 0 10

Three months before the start of the World Cup, which is set to take place in three North American countries in the summer of 2026, Mexico is facing chaos triggered by the killing of one of the world's most wanted criminals — CJNG cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera (El Mencho). A wave of drug blockades and attacks on civilian infrastructure has swept across the country, paralyzing communication between key host cities of the tournament. Forbes Sport reports on the likelihood of relocating 13 World Cup matches to another country due to the unrest and why the cost of the football celebration may become unbearable for the Mexican economy.

The special operation that resulted in the death of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, provoked a wave of violence on the streets of Mexico. The group staged mass riots with arson of vehicles, gas stations, and blockades of nearly 100 major roads, as well as attacks on national guard bases in 20 states across the country. The government declared the highest level of security in the crisis. Guadalajara, one of the key host cities for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, was effectively paralyzed, as was communication between central Mexico and the Pacific coast. At least 74 people were killed in the clashes, including 25 national guard fighters, The Guardian notes.

Due to security threats in Jalisco state, more than 200 flights were canceled or redirected, and the national football league postponed four matches, including the derby between Chivas and America. Over 1,000 people were trapped in the Guadalajara Zoo (Zoológico Guadalajara), including children and the elderly. They spent the night from Sunday to Monday on the zoo grounds and slept in tourist buses in the parking lot. The administration provided them with food, water, blankets, and essentials.

In Guadalajara, dozens of mass events were urgently canceled, including the long-awaited concert by Grammy winner Kali Uchis, for which thousands of tickets had already been sold. Organizers acknowledged that under conditions of blocked roads and attacks on public transport, ensuring the safety of spectators was impossible. The city, which is set to showcase Mexican hospitality in 100 days, plunged into a self-isolation mode for 48 hours: major shopping malls and chain hotels in upscale areas of Zapopan closed their doors, and delivery and taxi services ceased operations due to the threat of arson at gas stations.

For businesses, the most alarming signal was the transport blackout in the west of the country. Due to the blockade of key highways, hundreds of freight trucks became trapped in a logistical snare. In just the first three days of the unrest, the total economic losses for the region amounted to about 2 billion pesos ($116 million). The collapse exposed the main vulnerability of the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Even if stadiums are turned into impregnable fortresses, the external infrastructure — roads, airports, and gas networks — remains extremely vulnerable.

"We are witnessing a potential fragmentation of organized crime and destabilization of its structures across a vast territory of Mexico — right before the World Cup, " Nathan Jones, a scholar studying Mexican cartels and government response, shared with The Athletic. "This makes it practically impossible to predict how all this will unfold."

The CJNG cartel, founded by El Mencho in 2009 on the ruins of the once-powerful Milenio gang, has transformed over 15 years from a regional group into a transnational criminal empire. The group, known for its exceptional brutality since the demonstrative execution of 35 people in Veracruz in 2011, has established a dominant position in 25 states of Mexico. While internal wars have weakened old clans like the Sinaloa cartel, El Mencho's structure has built a unique management model: a network of autonomous regional cells with a high level of militarization, modern communication protocols, and capabilities for instant coordinated violence, The Conversation notes.

By 2026, the military potential of CJNG reached a level comparable to that of state security forces. The group openly uses armored vehicles, heavy weaponry, and the tactic of "drug blockades" — simultaneous arson of transport and closure of key highways, capable of paralyzing entire states within hours. This effectiveness, which previously led to the inclusion of CJNG on lists of global terrorist organizations (FTO and SDGT) in the U.S., has turned the cartel into an existential threat to the 2026 World Cup.