Peru Police Use World Cup Mascot Disguises to Nab Drug Suspect

Peruvian police officers dressed as the 2026 World Cup mascots Clutch and Maple approached a suspected drug dealer in Lima and arrested him without raising alarm. The operation, carried out by the Green Squadron, a specialist unit known for undercover disguises, resulted in the seizure of 2,524 packets of cocaine base and a firearm.

The suspect, 48-year-old Carlos Cabrera, was believed to be an avid football fan caught up in World Cup excitement. Investigators concluded that tournament-themed costumes would let officers get close to him without suspicion. Colonel Carlos Alcántara, head of the Green Squadron, said intelligence showed Cabrera was a diehard football fan, so the unit decided to disguise personnel as the mascots.

Video released by police shows the mascot-clad officers arriving at the property, breaking through a gate with a metal sledgehammer alongside fellow officers, then moving into the residence to detain Cabrera. Under Peruvian law, micro-trafficking of cocaine base carries a prison sentence of three to seven years.

The Green Squadron has used similar disguises in the past – officials argue elaborate costumes help officers blend into public spaces and catch suspects off guard. The latest operation drew particular attention because Peru did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup, yet police still leveraged football fever to execute the arrest.

Footage of the raid has circulated widely online, turning the mascot costumes into an unlikely symbol of one of the tournament's most unusual off-field stories.