Mexico’s beefed-up security for the FIFA 2026 World Cup were on full display June 11 as throngs of fans weaved through layers of law enforcement checkpoints and the home team delivered an exhilarating 2-0 win over South Africa. As promised by Mexico’s government, security was tight with police closing a 1-mile radius around the stadium, known as Estadia Azteca. The government’s multilayered security apparatus at the opening match, which included everything from roving patrols to robot dogs, was largely successful, according to government reports. Dubbed Plan Kukulkán after the serpent deity of Maya culture, authorities deployed almost 100,000 people from…
The Watch
Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) 401, the organization tasked with researching, testing and buying emerging counterdrone technologies for the United States Department of War (DOW), has awarded a $500 million contract to a California startup whose products have earned praise for downing thousands of Russian attack drones over the past two years in Ukraine. The three-year agreement with Perennial Autonomy will accelerate the DOW’s capacity to deploy low-cost air-to-air drone interceptors to counter uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and protect warfighters at home and abroad. Under the deal announced May 18, 2026, Perennial will provide a range of artificial intelligence-enabled, attritable…
The United States Coast Guard’s newest polar icebreaker, the Storis, returned to its temporary Seattle home port on May 11, 2026, after a deployment to the Bering Sea that lasted 36 days and logged 4,800 nautical miles. The voyage marked an early operational test for the newest addition to a small but growing fleet that is expected to play a critical role in U.S. Arctic operations. The winter patrol focused on strengthening operational readiness and interoperability with other military assets. The cutter’s crew also tested ways to support prolonged operations in the harsh Arctic maritime environment. “Operating the Storis in…
The Canadian Army is inviting private-sector companies to compete for the right to develop low-cost precision drones that can identify, track and support destroy adversarial weapons, the government announced in May 2026. The Minerva Initiative, a public-private partnership, was aided by $1.5 million in government seed money, part of the modernization of the Canadian Armed Forces. “The Minerva Initiative reflects our commitment to equipping the Canadian Army with cutting-edge, cost-effective capabilities that deliver real results in the field. By harnessing Canadian innovation and strengthening partnerships across sectors, we are developing smarter tools that enhance decision-making and support our soldiers where…
A United States Navy littoral combat ship (LCS) left its squadron’s home port in Florida in May 2026 for a scheduled deployment to bolster the security of the Mexico-U.S. border, a U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) news release stated. The USS Cooperstown left Naval Station Mayport on May 16 to relieve another Freedom-variant LCS, the USS Wichita, which had been engaged in border security operations since November 2025. Both warships belong to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) 2, which has been under USNORTHCOM command as a maritime component of border security efforts. The vessels are fast, maneuverable warships designed to operate…
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has been in office for more than a year, and her administration has demonstrated a willingness to confront transnational criminal organizations, or TCOs, and strengthen security along the country’s 3,145-kilometer border with the United States while retaining national sovereignty, a key principle of Mexico-U.S. relations. Already, observers of Mexico have noted successful operations against TCOs, including the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, and a renewed emphasis on intelligence gathering, shutting down cartel financial networks and cooperation with U.S. agencies. Sheinbaum has also moved 10,000 troops to the Mexico-U.S. border, which has seen illegal crossings plummet to their lowest…
Authorities in the Mexican state of Chihuahua are spending millions of dollars in a high-tech fight to curb the illicit activities of transnational criminal organizations. At the heart of this push is the Sentinel Tower, a 20-story building nearing completion in Ciudad Juárez, the Latin Times online newspaper reported in May 2025. When finished, the surveillance network that will operate from the building — the tallest in the El Paso,Texas-Juárez region — will have at its disposal high-tech surveillance equipment, including facial-recognition software, license plate readers and 4,400 mobile cameras. A helipad is atop the tower, which is part of…
As technology for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, evolves rapidly, U.S. companies remain at the forefront in countering them. In April 2025, DZYNE Technologies of Irvine, California, unveiled its latest counter-UAS (c-UAS) system for European allies: the Dronebuster 4-EU. The Dronebuster is a hand-held, nonkinetic device that sends electromagnetic signals to disrupt or disable UAS navigation and control. It also can spoof or simulate global navigation satellite signals, potentially ordering the drone to return to its starting point or shift direction. Weighing 2.25 kilograms, it has an effective range of 1 kilometer. DZYNE’s detect, track, identify, mitigate kit upgrades…
Mexican authorities destroyed three synthetic drug labs in Sinaloa, seizing more than 4,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly 1,000 kilograms of other synthetic drugs in May 2026. Meanwhile, across the country, naval and state police raided cartel sea-based smuggling depots in beach communities in the southern state of Chiapas. The security actions demonstrate the continued resolve of Mexico to confront transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The federal government, through the Secretariat of the Navy (MARINA) and the federal security forces, is “keeping its promise to collaborate with local authorities to uphold the rule of law and combat illicit activities that endanger…
A group of United States senators traveled to four Arctic nations in May 2026 to highlight the growing strategic importance of the region and demonstrate U.S. resolve to keep adversarial forces at bay. The eight senators, divided equally along partisan lines and led by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Jeanne Shaheen, said their trip was to gain a deeper understanding of the region. The U.S. has 1.17 million square kilometers of Arctic territory, fourth in size — behind Canada, Denmark and Russia — of the eight nations with High North real estate. The delegation — which also included Sens. Katie Britt…