Cargo Theft Hounds Mexico During Second Bimester of 2025

Cargo theft remains a significant challenge for Mexico’s logistics sector, causing substantial economic and operational losses for freight transport. A recent report by Assistcargo provides a detailed overview of the states, highway routes, and types of goods most exposed to this crime during the second bimester of 2025.

States With the Highest Frequency of Cargo Theft

The State of Mexico continues to hold its position as the state with the highest incidence of cargo theft, although it registered a 3% decrease compared to the previous bimester, reports the company. The most affected areas within the state include Cuautitlan Izcalli, Tepotzotlan, and Tlalnepantla.

Puebla is close to the top spot, also showing a 3% decrease. This state’s primary modus operandi is the use of fake checkpoints to carry out robberies.

Guanajuato has seen an increase in thefts, climbing from fourth to third place nationally. The municipalities of Leon, Silao, Irapuato, and Salamanca have experienced a notable rise, with tactics including roadblocks to force stops and high levels of violence against drivers before their release.

Jalisco showed a slight 1% decrease but moved up to fourth place due to increased thefts in other states. Pharmaceutical and technology industries are the most targeted in this region.

Hidalgo remains in the top five due to its strategic location, with many shipments passing through and thefts frequently occurring near the borders with the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, and Puebla.

The goods most frequently stolen are food and beverages (31%), construction materials (13%), auto parts (10%), textiles (9%), technology (9%), electronics (8%), Pharmaceuticals (7%), and others (13%). There was a slight decrease in thefts of auto parts, textiles, and technology, attributed to fewer shipments and increased security measures during transport by these industries, reads the report.

Types of Vehicles Stolen and High-Risk Highway Routes

Meanwhile, the most commonly stolen vehicles are tractor-trailers (40%), vehicles under 3.5 tons (24%), box trucks (Torton) (17%), short-bed trucks (Rabon) (14%), and full trucks (5%). Of the stolen vehicles, the report found that 59% of them were taken while in transit, 23% at stops during transit, 9% outside clients’ offices (9%), and 6% at fake checkpoints, while 2% were opportunistic robberies.

The days with the highest incidence are Wednesday (22%), Tuesday (19%), and Thursday (15%). The most vulnerable time frame is between 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM (36%), followed by midnight to 6:00 AM (28%).

The report identifies several critical highway corridors with the highest risk for cargo theft, including:

• Tepotzotlan-San Juan del Rio

• Queretaro-San Jose Iturbide-San Luis de la Paz

• Santa Maria del Rio-San Luis Potosi-Matehuala junction

• Matehuala-San Roberto junction

• Saltillo-Monterrey

Comparison with Official Public Security Data

According to the National Public Security System (SNSP), there were 1,075 thefts reported in April, representing a 6.65% decrease compared to March. However, there is a discrepancy between the SNSP and Assistcargo’s data regarding the most affected states. The SNSP lists the top five states as State of Mexico, Puebla, Michoacan, San Luis Potosi, and Jalisco, while assistcargo’s report names State of Mexico, Puebla, Jalisco, Hidalgo, and Guanajuato — with the latter two reporting minimal or no thefts according to SNSP.