Guadalajara, Mexico, is set to host four matches during the FIFA World Cup, and while officials can “not rule out sporadic violence” around the region, few observers believe the cartel running the city “would deliberately target tourists, or a major event,” according to Ciara Nugent of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Officials from both Guadalajara and the state of Jalisco, as well as security experts, indicate that the cartel’s interests “may prove just as important to security as government efforts.” The cartel has “much to gain” from the regional economic boost of a successful tournament in Guadalajara -- akin to its administrative headquarters -- and “much to lose from drawing authorities’ attention.” Two qualifier matches in Guadalajara in late March went off “without a hitch” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 4/8).
TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME: In Atlanta, Riley Bunch wrote from 2022 to 2025, homicides “dropped by more than 40%, and youth crime saw a 60% decrease” over the same timeline. However, recent shootings over the Easter weekend have “thrust teen violence back into the spotlight,” at a time when there is “more pressure than ever to keep crime rates down” ahead of World Cup games this summer. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said earlier this month that the department will “move to 12-hour shifts during the World Cup and have 250 contracted police officers from across the country coming to help” (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 4/8).
