Cargo Theft Persists Along Mexico’s Main Logistics Corridors

Despite national declines, cargo theft remains concentrated across Mexico’s main logistics corridors, while violent truck robberies and missing assets continue to generate major operational costs.

Mexico’s official crime indicators point to a decline in cargo-related violence, but private-sector data show that theft remains concentrated along the country’s most important logistics corridors, with food, beverages, auto parts, and tractor-trailers among the principal targets.

Logytek’s cargo theft report for May and June 2026 identifies the State of Mexico as the country’s main hotspot, accounting for 33% of the incidents analyzed. Its share increased by 5 percentage points from the previous two-month period, with theft concentrated around the logistics zones of the Valley of Mexico.

Puebla ranked second with 22% of incidents, up 2 percentage points from March-April. Logytek attributes the state’s persistent exposure to its location between central and southeastern Mexico and the high volume of commercial vehicles crossing its highways.

Guanajuato represented 8% of reported incidents, followed by San Luis Potosi with 7% and Michoacan with 6%. San Luis Potosi returned to the five most affected states following an increase in reports to authorities, reflecting its role as a transit node connecting Bajio, central Mexico and the country’s northern industrial regions. In Michoacan, theft continues to be characterized by a high degree of violence against drivers.

Logytek identified the the routes with the highest exposure:

• Mexico–Puebla Highway 150D: Section between San Marcos Huixtoco and San Martín Texmelucan.
• Mexico–Queretaro Highway: Section between Cuautitlán Izcalli and Pedro Escobedo.
• Arco Norte Highway: Section between Jilotepec and San Martin Texmelucan.
• Queretaro–San Luis Potosi Highway: Section between San Jose Iturbide and Santa María del Río.
• Queretaro–Irapuato Highway: Section between Apaseo el Grande and Cerro Gordo.

Food, Auto Parts Remain Leading Targets

Food and beverages remained the most frequently stolen cargo category during May and June, representing 29% of incidents, although their share declined by 3 percentage points from the previous period.

Auto parts ranked second with 12%, following a 4 percentage point increase. Logytek said the rise indicates growing criminal interest in products that combine high value with rapid resale potential. Construction materials accounted for 10%, electronics for 8%, textiles and technology each represented 7%, pharmaceutical products accounted for 4%, and wines and spirits represented 3%.

Another 20% corresponded to miscellaneous products, including fuels, chemicals, and mixed or unclassified cargoes. According to the report, this category should be interpreted as evidence of risk diversification rather than lower exposure.

Tractor-trailers were by far the most frequently affected vehicle type, accounting for 58% of incidents and increasing by 2 percentage points from the previous two-month period. Vehicles weighing less than 3.5t represented 16%, followed by torton trucks at 10%, and rabon and full configurations at 8% each.

Most thefts occurred while cargo was moving. Incidents classified as “in transit” represented 52% of cases, while another 31% involved vehicles being stopped during transit. Theft outside customer facilities accounted for 9%, false checkpoints for 5%, deliberately caused accidents for 2% and looting for 1%.

Risk was distributed relatively evenly across the day, with 28% of incidents occurring between 6pm and midnight. The early morning and morning periods each represented 26%, while the afternoon accounted for 20%. Wednesdays and Thursdays were the most exposed days, each accounting for 18% of incidents.

Official Indicators Show Decline in Violent Theft

Data from the National Public Security System (SESNP) show that reported violent robbery against carriers declined by 25.7% between January-May 2025 and the same period of 2026. The reduction was part of a broader decline in high-impact crimes presented by federal authorities in June.  

The State of Mexico recorded the highest number of cases, with 1,074 investigations for robbery against carriers between January and May 2026. Puebla ranked second with 486 cases, despite reporting a 34% annual reduction from the 736 incidents registered during the same period of 2025.

Together, both states accounted for a substantial share of the national total, reflecting the exposure of highways connecting the Valley of Mexico with Puebla, Veracruz and the southeastern region. These routes carry high volumes of consumer goods, industrial inputs, and export merchandise, making them particularly attractive to organized cargo-theft groups. The federal database also identifies Guanajuato, Veracruz, and Michoacan among the states with significant numbers of reported robberies against carriers.

Most incidents continued to involve violence. In Puebla, 94.6% of reported carrier robberies involved violence, above the national level of 77.2%.

Asset Losses Extend Beyond Stolen Cargo

Cargo and vehicle theft are only one part of the financial burden facing transport, construction, and field-service companies. Samsara’s 2026 State of Connected Operations study found that theft, loss, and the inability to locate equipment can generate MX$230 million in annual direct and indirect operational costs for medium-sized organizations that lack asset-tracking systems.

Mexico recorded the sharpest deterioration among the countries included in the study. About 62% of Mexican organizations said theft of high-value assets had increased over the past five years, compared with a global average of 49%.

However, the largest cumulative losses do not necessarily come from heavy machinery. Samsara found that 72% of the operational cost associated with missing equipment originated from assets valued below MX$170,000, including tools, sensors, generators and specialized replacement parts.

The study, based on responses from 1,500 finance executives in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and several European countries, found that 71% of operations without asset tracking experience equipment theft every quarter. Companies also direct an average of 25% of their new-equipment budgets toward replacing stolen or missing assets.

In Mexico, 93% of respondents said the disappearance of a critical asset had caused a shutdown or significant delay during the previous 12 months. Another 47% had been forced to make emergency purchases or rent replacement equipment, while 36% said asset theft or loss had prevented them from competing for new projects.

The operational impact also includes labor time. Nearly half of Mexican organizations reported direct productivity losses from employees searching for missing equipment. Globally, more than one-quarter of organizations without real-time visibility said workers spend over 10 hours per week searching for assets.

Samsara found that organizations adopting asset tracking are beginning to record measurable benefits. In Mexico, 56% reported fewer project closures and delays after implementing tracking technology, while 36% said improved visibility had helped them negotiate lower insurance premiums.

Heavy-Equipment Theft Declines, Violence Remains High

Data from the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions (AMIS) provide another measure of the exposure faced by transport operators. Its heavy-equipment annex shows that approximately 8,400 insured heavy vehicles were stolen between June 2025 and May 2026, down 4% from the previous 12-month period.

During May 2026 alone, insurers recorded 601 stolen heavy vehicles and 395 recoveries. This was equivalent to an average of 19 thefts and 13 recoveries per day. The annual recovery rate stood at 54%.

Despite the annual decline, violence remained a defining feature of heavy-equipment theft. AMIS reported that 68% of insured heavy-equipment robberies involved violence, underscoring the direct threat to drivers even as the total number of stolen units decreased.

The association’s year-to-date comparison also shows 3,276 insured heavy vehicles stolen between January and May 2026, down from 3,977 in the corresponding 2025 period. Recoveries declined from 2,273 to 1,977 units.