Peruvian police dress as World Cup mascots to arrest drug suspect
Officers from Peru’s Green Squad disguised themselves as 2026 World Cup mascots Maple the Moose and Clutch the Bald Eagle to surprise a football-obsessed suspect in Lima, seizing cocaine, marijuana and a firearm.
The operation
On Thursday 12 June, officers from the Peruvian National Police’s Green Squad (Escuadrón Verde) executed an arrest in Lima’s Las Flores neighbourhood using an unusual cover: two agents dressed as the 2026 World Cup mascots Maple the Moose and Clutch the Bald Eagle, representing Canada and the United States respectively. The squad targeted a suspect known as “Pichichi”, a self-confessed football fan, and timed the raid while he was likely distracted by the tournament’s opening days.
The arrest was of a die-hard football fan, living and breathing the World Cup fever. We dressed up in order to approach him without arousing suspicion and make the arrest.
Colonel Alcántara, head of the Green Squad, said his team had gathered intelligence confirming the man’s obsession with the World Cup. Once inside the property, the officers chased the suspect upstairs before restraining him. The tactic, while theatrical, allowed the unit to close in without alerting the target, who had been under investigation for selling drugs from his home.
The suspect
The detained man is Carlos Cabrera, a 48-year-old with a criminal record for drug trafficking. Authorities said he had previously served two prison terms totalling nine years on the same charge. According to Il Messaggero, he was watching the Mexico versus South Africa match at the Azteca Stadium when police moved in. The arrest came as Peru watched from the sidelines, having failed to qualify for the tournament after finishing ninth in South American qualifying.
Seizure
During the search of the house, officers seized 2,524 doses of crack cocaine, 400 grams of a mixture of cocaine paste and marijuana, a firearm with ammunition, a knife, a significant amount of cash, and several mobile phones. The National Police later released a video of the raid, showing the mascot-costumed officers entering the building and arresting Cabrera. The footage quickly spread across social media and international news outlets.
Green Squad’s unconventional methods
The Green Squad has built a reputation for using theatrical disguises. In past operations, its members have dressed as Santa Claus, elves, and street sweepers to catch criminals off guard. The unit specialises in surprise tactics, exploiting targets’ habits and interests. “Thanks to the intelligence work, we determined that the person we were about to arrest was a die-hard football fan, living and breathing World Cup fever,” a police statement noted.
The tactic echoes a broader South American policing style that emphasises psychological surprise over brute force. While the mascot costumes drew international amusement, the arrests were serious: the suspected micro-trafficker had been under investigation for drug sales from his own home.
Viral reaction
Video footage of the mascot arrest spread rapidly on social media after Peru’s Interior Ministry published it. International outlets from the BBC to Italy’s AGI covered the story, many highlighting the irony of a country not even in the tournament using World Cup fever as a law-enforcement tool. The images of giant plush animals tackling a suspect underscored how the global football event had, for a moment, turned Lima into an unlikely stage for creative policing.
