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Mexican Military Downs Drone Over South Korea Training Ahead of World Cup Match

The episode has raised surveillance concerns prompting a FIFA probe into who operated the unregistered device.

Overview

  • A drone was spotted above South Korea’s closed training session in Zapopan on Tuesday and a Mexican military specialist used counter-drone equipment to disable it before the team began its tactical work.
  • Officials say the disabled drone crashed but was reportedly retrieved from the scene by suspected operators who then fled and no arrests have been reported.
  • The Korea Football Association notified FIFA and investigators are working to identify the operator and determine whether the device recorded any footage or other data.
  • Coach Myung-bo Hong said the drone was detected before the session’s key tactical segment and that the team’s preparations were not materially affected.
  • Mexican authorities framed the incident as one of several recent takedowns under the country’s Plan Kukulkán security operation, a large deployment of police and military forces using counter-drone systems around stadiums and team bases which could prompt closer scrutiny of tournament security measures.