During the World Cup, criminal organizations were able to increase their activity (symbolic image).Image: keystone
July 13, 2026, 11:20July 13, 2026, 12:58 p.m
Countless people traveled to Mexico for the World Cup this summer. Not only was the hospitality industry happy about the additional income, but organized crime also received a boost. “Criminal groups have used the World Cup to increase their activities,” says David Sauceda, security and public policy consultant RSI.
Football tourists brought cash to Mexico. Increased customer traffic in restaurants and bars made it easier for criminal organizations to launder money in the businesses they controlled. Money from criminal activities.
In many places, prices for overnight stays rose due to the World Cup. At the same time, extortion of protection money in the tourism and hospitality industries has also increased. Owners of hotels and holiday apartments would have to hand over several hundred to thousands of francs per week to the criminal organizations, reports Sauceda.
In addition to increased additional income from legal sectors of the economy, illegal businesses also thrived. Credit card fraud, identity theft and organized cell phone thefts increased. At the same time, the demand for drugs and prostitution increased. Women from Colombia and Venezuela are brought to World Cup venues by cartels through human trafficking networks for sexual exploitation, Saucedo tells RSI.
While the business of criminal organizations is flourishing, the number of murders has decreased across the country. Since there have been no arrests of high-ranking drug traffickers or major drug seizures, Saucedo suspects there is some kind of truce between the police and the cartels.
However, this calm will not last long, says security entrepreneur Alberto Islas. “What we will see is the continuation of the fight between the cartels for control of the territories,” he says, referring to the end of the World Cup. (Nile)