Cargo Theft Near AIFA Grows, State of Mexico Tops Incidents

Mexican transport operators and local authorities are reporting a rise in cargo theft along key access routes to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), particularly on the Mexico–Pachuca highway (85/85D), connections to the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense (CEM), and feeder roads serving Tecámac, Zumpango, Nextlalpan, Tonanitla and Ecatepec in the State of Mexico, as well as Tizayuca in Hidalgo.

Data from the Observatorio Nacional Ciudadano show that in Zumpango—where AIFA is located—criminal investigations across multiple categories increased from 4,980 cases in 2020 to 7,128 in 2025. Vehicle thefts in the municipality rose from 474 to 554 over the same period. While the State of Mexico government reports an overall decline in crime, industry sources and risk management firms cite persistent and growing incidents along the airport’s logistics corridor.

“Previously there were thefts, but now they have increased considerably. There is no surveillance,” said a member of the Sindicato de Transporte y Cemento, adding that the Tonanitla service road has become a “hot spot.” In 2025, the State of Mexico led the country in cargo transport thefts, with 20,856 reported incidents, according to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System.

Public perception mirrors the data. In June 2025, 74.9% of Zumpango residents reported feeling unsafe, a 17.7 percentage-point increase compared with March, according to INEGI’s National Urban Public Security Survey. Authorities have also recovered high-value stolen goods in the area, including a container of tobacco worth MX$48 million (US$2.67 million) seized in December.

“The increase coincides with the transfer of cargo routes from Mexico City International Airport to AIFA, alongside more aggressive criminal patterns,” said Óscar de la Cruz, secretary, Asociación Mexicana de Empresas de Seguridad Privada e Industria Satelital (AMESIS). He estimated that cargo theft in the State of Mexico is rising at an annual rate of 23%.

Risk management firms report that the State of Mexico accounts for about 20% of the country’s cargo thefts, second only to Puebla. The Cámara Nacional del Autotransporte de Carga (Canacar) estimates that a robbery occurs somewhere in Mexico approximately every 50 minutes. Key risk areas include the Mexico–Pachuca highway, CEM feeder routes and connections to the Arco Norte.

Municipalities such as Tecamac, Zumpango, Nextlalpan, Tonanitla and Tizayuca handle last-mile cargo flows to AIFA, while Cuautitlan Izcalli and Naucalpan rank among the municipalities with the highest number of reported transporter thefts. Some State of Mexico security personnel have reported alleged collusion, fee extortion and discretionary inspections that facilitate cargo theft, as well as purported arrangements with CEM operator Aleatica to tolerate extortion along the highway.

AMESIS also noted that in November 2025, the State of Mexico accounted for 23% of national road-transport thefts, with 358 incidents recorded. Recovery rates can reach up to 95% when alerts are issued within the first 30 minutes, underscoring the importance of rapid-response protocols for risk mitigation.

Air cargo volumes at AIFA declined in 2025, falling 10.8% to 368,404 metric tons from 413,224 tons a year earlier. By contrast, cargo traffic at Mexico City International Airport rose 5.7% to 230,270 tons, highlighting uneven performance among Mexico’s main airports amid broader pressures on the air freight sector.