On June 13, 2026, two Peruvian police officers in Lima successfully arrested a suspected drug dealer by disguising themselves as World Cup mascots, Clutch and Maple. This operation took a unique approach, as the officers aimed to blend in and avoid suspicion during their arrest.
Colonel Carlos Alcántara leads the Green Squadron, a unit focused on combatting common crime. He explained that the arrest of 48-year-old Carlos Cabrera occurred during the World Cup’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Alcántara noted, “Thanks to intelligence work, we realized that this person was a diehard football fan and was caught up in World Cup fever. Therefore, we decided to disguise personnel as World Cup mascots so we could approach him without raising suspicion and apprehend him.”
The officers in mascot costumes used a metal sledgehammer to break open a door and enter the premises with their colleagues. The police shared footage of the operation on social media, which showed them collecting evidence and detaining the suspect. During the raid, authorities discovered 2,524 packets of cocaine base and a firearm. In Peru, drug micro-trafficking, involving possession of 5 to 50 grams of cocaine base, carries a penalty of three to seven years in prison.
For this particular World Cup, Clutch represented the United States as a bald eagle, while Maple symbolized Canada as a moose. Mexico’s mascot was a jaguar named Zayu.
This creative approach is not new for Peruvian police. They have previously used disguises as fictional characters, including the Grinch, Freddy Krueger, Deadpool, Wolverine, and even Santa Claus, to arrest suspects. In 2024, an officer dressed as a bear with Valentine’s gifts successfully coaxed a female drug suspect from her home.