Peruvian police disguised themselves as the 2026 World Cup mascots Clutch the Bald Eagle and Maple the Moose to arrest a suspected drug trafficker in Lima on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 [1]. Officers used a battering ram to break through a gate and detained a man wearing a white vest during the operation [1].
During the raid, police recovered packets of white powder and a firearm at the suspect's location [1]. Intelligence indicated the suspect was obsessed with the World Cup, which prompted authorities to use mascot costumes to avoid raising suspicion during the arrest [1]. Colonel Carlos Fredy Alcántara Obregón, head of the police Green Squad, said, "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. 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." [1]
Peruvian police have used disguises in previous operations, including wearing a capybara costume with a turtle-shaped backpack during a drug probe arrest on Valentine's Day 2025, as well as Marvel superhero costumes [1]. Peru did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup, having last appeared in the tournament in 2018 [1].
