"England Wags Trade Luxury for Security as They Enter Cartel 'Kidnap Capital'"

ENGLAND’S World Cup win this week didn’t just seal their place in the next round of the tournament – it also booked them a trip to one of the tournament’s most dangerous destinations.

As the Three Lions head to the , experts have warned security will have to be tight, given City’s reputation for violent crime and drug cartels abduct people at will.

The England squad arrives at their hotel in Mexico city ahead surrounded by high security ahead of kick-off Credit: Reuters Mexico has a reputation for violent crime and drug cartels abductinh people at will Credit: AFP

Many fall victim to organ, sex and , and with 130,000 people officially registered missing, the country is nicknamed the “kidnapping ­capital of the world”.

With that in mind, as the players’ expected to descend on the Mexican capital, alongside 150,000 England fans, security will be top priority.

Stunning including Ellie Watkins, wife of striker, Ollie Watkins; Ashlyn Castro, Jude Bellinghams girlfriend and Tomali Benso, Saka’s partner are expected to be under extremely tight protection.

Speaking to The Sun, security guru and World Cup insider Will Geddes revealed: “The Wags will be travelling in armoured with security drivers, body guards and chase vehicles.

Police officers deploy outside the hotel where the England team will stay Credit: AP Ellie Watkins, 30, wife of England striker, Ollie Watkins Credit: Instagram @ellievwatkins

“Mexico is going to be under the world’s eye and scrutiny. The team have to get the security absolutely right.

“There’s a diversity of potential risks that face not only those that are attending the actual games themselves, and that could be the spectators from across the world, but also the friends, family, the wags, if you like, of the actual players.”

The vibrant city will no doubt have an electric atmosphere ahead of the match, but it also residents – eight times higher than London’s.

When , one resident branded the area “a war zone”.

Mexican National Guard special forces escort an ambulance from the forensic service Credit: AFP Ashlyn Castro, 28, is England player Jude Bellingham’s girlfriend Credit: Instagram @ashlyncastro

The expert said Mexico will throw a huge security blanket around the World Cup under a nationwide operation known as Plan Kukulkán.

When the team arrived on Saturday Unprecedented rings of steel were thrown around the Three Lions’ World Cup hotel.

Road blocks were put in place, along with an inner cordon of row upon row of specialist cops in riot helmets and shields.

Hours before the team’s arrival, the were seen practising drills and forming protective lines.

More officers took up positions encircling the five-star hotel in the sprawling city’s Santa Fe suburb.

Geddes revealed Mexican authorities have launched a colossal security operation involving around 100,000 personnel to shield the tournament from any threat.

The huge force includes 55,000 police officers and 20,000 military troops, while thousands more private security guards and specialist protection teams will bolster the operation.

The plan also brings together Mexico’s federal security agencies to coordinate intelligence.

Police officers secure the area where vehicles were set on fire by organised crime members to block a road in Mexico Credit: Reuters Bukayo Saka’s girlfriend, Tomali Benson, 24, will be expected to take the stands in Mexico Credit: World Cup 2026 News Pool (WCNP)

Security will be boosted from the skies by Black Hawk helicopters, while Mexico City’s vast C5 surveillance network of around 13,293 cameras near World Cup venues will keep a constant watch on key locations throughout the tournament, Geddes added.

But the England camp is taking no chances.

Players and staff will be flanked by their own elite security teams throughout the tournament, with additional close-protection officers assigned to safeguard loved ones away from the stadium.

The high-security convoys are designed to minimise the threat of violent crime in a country where kidnapping remains a chilling reality.

He said their high level security will be very visible to send a message to criminals out there that they are not even to be considered a target.

Geddes warned that armoured vehicles must never remain stationary for long because criminals can seize any opportunity to strike.

He said there is a genuine risk of a “deliberate ambush” involving “robbery or kidnapping.”

Drawing on his experience protecting high-profile clients at major global events, Geddes also urged players’ partners to ditch the designer glamour.

He warned Mexico is no place to flaunt luxury watches, or high-end fashion accessories that could make them a target.

He said: “Mexico City and Mexico generally is not the place to be wearing your finest Patek Philippe or having your Chanel handbag or Birkin handbag with you.”

The Sun has revealed no expense is being spared as England prepares for its biggest World Cup mission yet – with the biggest security splurge reserved for Mexico.

Players wives and their relatives are each forking out hundreds of thousands of pounds for premium travel and accommodation during the tournament.

Megan Davison ( Jordan Pickford’s wife) is expected to be cheering her partner on Credit: World Cup 2026 News Pool (WCNP) The Sun visited the Azteca Stadium ahead of the game and one resident branded the area a ‘warzone’ Credit: Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner

Upmarket travel agents have been inundated with bookings for five star hotels, luxury villas, private flights, and every conceivable extra possible.

A travel insider said that if England reach the final, the total bill for the players families and WAGs could reach £10m.

Even before England , preparations for Mexico were already well underway.

A source told The Sun: “We will be looking at securing the best accommodation available in Mexico,” in preparation for the dangers that come with the visit.

The insider added: “They are not worried about the price – they just want the best available. They are spending a fortune.”

England are expected to keep the location of their team hotel under tight wraps for as long as possible amid fears over not only security threats but potential sabotage from rival supporters.

Geddes warned that once the squad’s base becomes public knowledge, opposition fans could launch disruptive tactics aimed at unsettling the players before kick-off.

He told The Sun: “They may hoot their horns all night and cause disruption and noise to try and give them the worst type of sleep possible.”

The body of a dead man was placed on a bench in Mexico City just minutes from the Estadio Azteca football stadium Credit: Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner Ashlyn Castro hugs Jude Bellingham Credit: PA

Rather than posing a direct physical threat, Geddes believes sleep deprivation and relentless disturbance could become the latest weapon in football’s psychological battle.

To counter the risk, England’s security operation is expected to carefully select the quietest, most heavily protected side of the hotel, reducing the chances of any late-night disruption reaching the squad.

Geddes said every detail – from the hotel’s layout to room allocation – will be meticulously planned to give the players the best possible environment to rest, recover and remain focused ahead of their biggest matches.

Parts of Mexico have been gripped by a spiralling security crisis in the wake of Oseguera Cervantes.

Plumes of smoke rise across Mexico following violent cartel attacks Credit: EPA Firefighters and members of the Morelia police work at the scene where a vehicle is set on fire by suspected members of organized crime Credit: EPA

Just months ago, the UK Foreign Office urged British nationals in Mexico to remain indoors and exercise “extreme caution”, amid warnings of violent clashes breaking out with little warning in affected areas.

On the ground, scenes turned increasingly volatile, with smoke rising above streets as cartel gunmen torching vehicles and erecting makeshift barricades in brazen displays of control.

Authorities were forced to deploy federal reinforcements in a bid to contain outbreaks of violence and restore order in flashpoint regions.

Security analysts describe a fragmented but heavily armed criminal landscape, with hundreds of organised groups operating across parts of the country, often armed with high-powered weapons and enforcing brutal territorial control.

In one of the most disturbing recent incidents, at least 11 people were killed and a further dozen injured when in Salamanca, central Mexico.

Witnesses reported four armed men arriving in pick-up trucks before unleashing a barrage of gunfire that turned a community gathering into a scene of chaos and horror.

Survivors told local media that victims were left bleeding as emergency services struggled to reach the scene in time.

Tragically, ten people were pronounced dead at the scene, with another later dying in hospital from their injuries.

The mayor confirmed that among the injured were a woman and a child, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the attack.

Government figures paint a stark national picture, with Mexico recording an average of 50.4 homicides per day between January and May.

Against this backdrop, the country’s preparations for hosting the next World Cup game continues to draw international attention, with Monday night’s game set to unfold under intense scrutiny.