Borderlands Mexico: Criminal groups keep pressure on Mexican freight networks

Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Criminal groups keep pressure on Mexican freight networks; Nuevo León posts $17B in IMMEX exports through May and Mitsubishi Logistics invests $40M in US warehouse expansion.

Criminal groups keep pressure on Mexican freight networks Mexican authorities say cargo theft targeting trucking companies is declining nationwide, while Overhaul and recent industry warnings suggest organized criminal groups continue to keep pressure on freight operators across some of the country’s busiest logistics corridors.

Guillermo Briseño Lobera, commander of Mexico’s National Guard, said cargo thefts involving trucking companies are projected to decline 37% in 2026 compared with the 6,263 incidents reported in 2025, according to La Jornada. Authorities have recorded 2,519 cargo thefts so far this year, continuing a downward trend that has seen the crime fall 52.

07% between 2018 and 2025. Briseño said the federal government’s Balam highway security strategy has contributed to the decline. The program, which operates in 12 states, helped reduce cargo theft incidents by 37. 19% between 2024 and 2025 while increasing recoveries of stolen cargo vehicles.

Authorities also reported significant reductions along several major freight corridors, including the Mexico-Querétaro route, where cargo theft fell 85. 7%, the Mexico-Puebla corridor, where thefts dropped 90%, and the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway, where officials reported no cargo theft incidents.

However, new data from supply chain risk management firm Overhaul’s Mexico Q2 2026 Cargo Theft Report shows cargo theft remains one of the country’s most significant supply chain security challenges.

Central Mexico remains cargo theft epicenter Overhaul found that 76% of cargo theft incidents involved violence, underscoring the continuing threat facing drivers and fleets operating throughout Mexico. Cargo theft activity remains heavily concentrated in central and western Mexico, Overhaul said.

The company’s second-quarter analysis found that 77% of cargo theft incidents occurred in the Center and West regions of the country, accounting for 46% and 31% of reported thefts, respectively.

The State of Mexico, Puebla and Guanajuato remained the three most affected states during the second quarter, accounting for nearly half of all cargo theft activity nationwide. The State of Mexico represented 18% of incidents, Puebla 17. 9% and Guanajuato 10. 8%. Overall, 86. 3% of Mexico’s cargo theft incidents were concentrated in just 10 states.

While theft activity declined in Puebla and the State of Mexico compared to a year ago, Overhaul reported increases in Guanajuato, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Michoacán and Tlaxcala.

Criminals targeting food, fuel and agricultural products Food and beverage shipments remained the most frequently targeted cargo category during the second quarter, accounting for 30% of thefts, followed by miscellaneous freight (11%), auto parts (9%), construction and industrial products (9%) and fuel (7%).

Overhaul said agricultural cargo theft showed one of the largest increases year over year. Agro-related thefts increased by four percentage points, with fertilizers and pesticides among the most targeted products. Auto parts theft rose three percentage points, while fuel theft increased two percentage points.

Most thefts occur during business days and evening hours Cargo theft patterns remained highly predictable during the second quarter. Overhaul reported that 85% of cargo theft incidents occurred Monday through Friday, with criminal activity peaking between Tuesday and Friday. The highest-risk period was between 6 p. m.

and midnight, accounting for 31% of incidents, while two major theft windows emerged between 3 a. m. and 7 a. m. and between 6 p. m. and 10 p. m. Organized crime groups continue evolving tactics Recent enforcement actions highlight the continued sophistication of cargo theft organizations.

Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection announced Aug. 15 that federal authorities arrested three suspects linked to a criminal cell accused of cargo theft, express kidnappings of truck drivers and the corruption of local officials along freight routes in Veracruz and Puebla.

Authorities said the group operated along the Federal Highway 150-D corridor connecting Puebla and Veracruz, one of Mexico’s most important trucking routes. Nuevo León posts $17B in IMMEX exports through May Nuevo León recorded more than $17 billion in exports under Mexico’s IMMEX manufacturing program during the first five months of 2026, an 8.

9% increase compared to the same period a year ago, according to a news release. State officials said Nuevo León accounted for 16% of Mexico’s total IMMEX exports from January through May, highlighting the region’s importance to the nation’s export-oriented manufacturing sector. The state also rank