Eight members of the San Antonio Police Department's SWAT team traveled to Dubai last month to compete against police tactical units from around the world — including a Russian group accused of war crimes in Ukraine. San Antonio's participation in the international games — which awarded cash prizes — raised red flags for area human rights and police reform experts and activists, as first reported locally by Texas Public Radio. The New York Police Department was the only other U.S.
team was invited to participate in the international event in the spirit of competition with other law enforcement entities, not unlike the Olympics,' he said in an email. 'Events, such as an obstacle course, do not translate into real world tactical operations,' he said. This was San Antonio's first time participating in the Dubai event, to which Moscoso said the department had been invited.