San Antonio SWAT Team Places 31st in Worldwide Competition

SAPD officers competed against over 100 teams from 47 countries in the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The San Antonio Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team placed 31st out of 109 teams at the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge in Dubai. Seven SAPD officers and one sergeant traveled to the five-day international competition, which featured challenges that mimicked real-world scenarios like rescuing a hostage or evacuating a wounded officer.

Why it matters

This marks the third time since 2023 that the San Antonio SWAT team has participated in the prestigious global competition, showcasing their skills on an international stage and representing the city. The competition allows SAPD to benchmark their capabilities against elite law enforcement units from around the world.

The details

The teams competed for a total prize pool of $260,000, with SAPD earning 380 points and a total time of just over 16 minutes. They competed against teams from the United States, including Orlando, Dallas and New York, as well as 47 other countries like China, Kazakhstan and Brazil. Each day featured a different challenge, with teams of five competing together and earning points based on speed, accuracy and adherence to procedures. SAPD's strongest showing came on Day 3 during the Officer Rescue Challenge, where they earned 274 points and climbed as high as 12th place in the overall standings.

  • The competition took place over five days, beginning on Saturday.
  • This marks the third time since 2023 that San Antonio police have participated in the international competition.

The players

San Antonio Police Department

The local law enforcement agency that sent a SWAT team to compete in the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge.

United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge

An international competition that tests the skills of elite law enforcement SWAT teams from around the world through various real-world scenario challenges.

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The takeaway

The San Antonio SWAT team's strong performance at the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge demonstrates the high caliber of their training and capabilities, and highlights the city's commitment to maintaining a world-class law enforcement force.