Claudia Sheinbaum Recognizes Plan Kukulkan Security Team for World Cup 2026
President Claudia Sheinbaum led a ceremony in Zumpango to honor the personnel who carried out Plan Kukulkan, the security operation that protected the FIFA World Cup 2026 hosted in Mexico. The plan deployed more than 124,000 members of the federal, state and municipal security apparatus, including 20,734 army, air‑force and National Guard personnel, 1,474 vehicles, 25 aircraft, 150 detection dogs, 150 horses, radars, anti‑drone systems and chemical‑biological‑radiological‑nuclear (CBRN) detectors.
Officials from the defence, interior and security ministries – notably Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo and Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch – highlighted the unprecedented coordination among the three levels of government. Governors from the host states – Jalisco, Nuevo León, Ciudad de México, Quintana Roo, Baja California, Hidalgo and the State of México – participated and praised the operation’s success in safeguarding stadiums, airports, official routes, fan‑fest areas and hotels.
Sheinbaum stressed that the event showcased Mexico’s capacity to organise a large‑scale international tournament while projecting a “peaceful, joyful and hospitable” national image.
Entities: Claudia Sheinbaum · FIFA World Cup 2026 · Mara Lezama Espinosa · Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda · Omar García Harfuch · Plan Kukulkán · Ricardo Trevilla Trejo
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The operation used aircraft, vehicles, anti‑drone systems and CBRN detection equipment. (Details of equipment were listed by Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo.)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Plan Kukulkan mobilized more than 20,000 personnel. (The operation involved over 20,734 military and guard members.)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said Mexican society showed unity during the operation. (Trevilla highlighted national unity in his remarks.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa participated in the recognition ceremony. (Lezama was present alongside Sheinbaum.)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Plan Kukulkan was active from 17 January 2025 to 19 July 2026. (Timeline of the security plan as stated by officials.)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Plan Kukulkan was described as one of the largest security deployments in Mexican history. (Officials noted the unprecedented scale of the operation.)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The operation secured stadiums, airports, official routes, fan festivals and hotels during the World Cup. (Security coverage included key venues and infrastructure.)
- [● 8 SOURCES] President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly recognized and thanked the security forces for Plan Kukulkan. (Sheinbaum highlighted the success and thanked the forces at the ceremony.)