Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is not even a week in, and already its biggest impact may well have come well away from the field in a country that isn’t even qualified for the tournament.
Col. Carlos Alcántara, the head of the Green Squadron in Peru, recently used the World Cup mascots to help go undercover and capture 48-year-old Carlos Cabrera during the opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.
Video of the arrest posted on the unit’s TikTok page showed undercover officers dressed as the World Cup mascots and escorting Cabrera away after allegedly seizing 2,524 packets of cocaine.
@policiaperu 🚨 #Lima | La inteligencia policial también salva familias 👮♂️🇵🇪 La Policía Nacional del Perú ejecutó una operación estratégica que permitió la captura de presuntos integrantes de una banda criminal dedicada a la venta de droga. Con planificación, inteligencia operativa y una táctica sorpresiva, nuestros agentes lograron intervenir en una zona donde la criminalidad creía tener ventaja. Durante la acción policial se incautaron sustancias ilícitas y elementos de convicción que fortalecerán las investigaciones correspondientes. Este resultado demuestra que la PNP no improvisa: investiga, planifica y actúa con eficacia para proteger a la sociedad peruana. Porque detrás de cada intervención hay un objetivo superior: devolver tranquilidad a las calles, proteger a nuestras familias y reafirmar la confianza del Perú en su Policía. ✅ Inteligencia, estrategia y acción al servicio de tu seguridad. Tu seguridad es nuestra prioridad!!! #PolicíaNacionalDelPerú #PNP #Lima #SeguridadCiudadana
Peruvian Police Use World Cup Mascots As Cover For Drug Bust
“Thanks to the intelligence work carried out by the team, we were able to establish that the person we were about to arrest was a die-hard football fan, living and breathing the World Cup fever,” Alcantara said of the arrest. “So we proceeded to disguise my Green Squad personnel as World Cup mascots in order to approach him without arousing suspicion and make the arrest.”
It’s not every day you see someone dressed as an eagle, moose, and jaguar leading a man away in handcuffs.
But in this case, it made sense.
The three animals represent the three host countries for the 2026 World Cup. The United States is represented by Clutch, a bald eagle. Maple the moose represents Canada, and México is symbolized by a jaguar named Zayu.
Cabrera faces three to seven years in prison if convicted. It’s also not the first time Alcantara’s unit has used these tactics. Members have previously dressed up as the Grinch, Freddy Krueger, and even Santa Claus to approach those they intend to arrest.