World Cup 2026: Mexico City police to wear only protective gear, no firearms

Mexico City police will be equipped solely with personal protective gear, including acrylic shields, helmets, and body armor, during the World Cup 2026 events, according to the head of the Citizen Security Secretariat (SSC), Pablo Vázquez Camacho. He demonstrated the equipment to the press, assuring that officers are not carrying firearms and that any deviation from protocol will be investigated and sanctioned.

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The police are not carrying absolutely anything more than what you see here. And any act, any action deviating from this protocol, is of course sanctioned; it is investigated and it is sanctioned.

Some officers will also carry fire extinguishers, which may explain the colored powder sometimes seen during protests. Vázquez Camacho clarified that this powder is dry extinguisher content used to combat incendiary devices or potential fires. The equipment and protocols are designed under the CDMX doctrine, prioritizing dialogue, containment, and channeling during public order situations.

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This is dry powder from the extinguisher you see there. It is like any extinguisher you have in homes or offices to put out fires, and it is used, especially when there is a risk of fire; when there is a fire outbreak. That is the reason colleagues have it.

Clara Brugada, the head of Government of Mexico City, affirmed that the police officers are unarmed and that firearms are never permitted during demonstrations. She also stated that there is no intention to reintroduce a riot police unit, known as granaderos, in the capital's police force. This decision reflects a significant change in doctrine and equipment compared to the previous granadero units.

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The capital's police officers are not armed, and I assure you that at no time, during a demonstration, are they allowed to carry weapons.

The SSC chief emphasized that the dissolution of the granaderos represented a doctrinal shift, and the current police force operates under a new framework focused on de-escalation and protection rather than forceful intervention. This approach aims to ensure the safety of both the public and the officers during large-scale events like the World Cup.

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There is no intention for a granaderos unit to operate again in the capital's streets. When we say the granaderos unit was extinguished, we are talking about a change in doctrine and a change in equipment.