The Senate of the Republic approved the entry of 35 U.S. military members into the country to train members of the Mexican Armed Forces in reaction techniques, crisis management, and security, as part of the preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In statements to the media, Senator Carlos Lomeli explained that the U.S. instructors will work with personnel from the Army, Navy, and Air Force with the aim of strengthening security protocols ahead of the international event where Mexico will host matches in the country's capital, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. "These are 35 elements who come to train our Armed Forces (...) to be able to provide certainty and security in the management of our next event, which is the World Cup," the lawmaker noted. Lomeli emphasized that this is a process of specialized training to reinforce the reaction capacity of Mexican authorities in possible crisis situations during the tournament. "We consider it very important that this type of training be received to be able to guarantee the security and tranquility of visitors, both international and Mexican," he affirmed. The lawmaker detailed that the stay of the U.S. personnel will last approximately 36 days, during which they will provide technical and operational training. After that, the Mexican Armed Forces will continue to collaborate "very closely" not only with the United States, but also with other countries with which Mexico maintains training and cooperation agreements in defense matters. He highlighted that the preparation of the Armed Forces is "for the peace and tranquility of the country," especially given the logistical and security magnitude of the 2026 World Cup, which for the first time will be jointly organized by Mexico, the United States, and Canada. "The personnel entering comes to provide reaction capacity and crisis management skills," reiterated the senator, who emphasized that this type of cooperation is customary in the bilateral relationship on security matters. The authorization comes after the Senate plenary approved in February the entry of 19 U.S. Navy elements to participate in joint training exercises with Mexican forces in the state of Campeche, and days later, the arrival of another 12 elements to participate in a "training" joint exercise. These decisions come amid recent tensions between the two countries following statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about possible actions against Mexican cartels and reports of U.S. drone flights over Mexico.
