Supply chain visibility firm Overhaul reported that 83% of cargo thefts in Mexico during the third quarter involved violence.
“As 2024 comes to a close, it’s important that shippers understand new and emerging MOs and targets in Mexico to identify and prepare against risks,” Overhaul said in the report.
Truckers in Mexico face hijackings and theft regularly.
“In Mexico, one of the biggest issues is there is absolutely no security for the drivers,” Jesus Chuy, a driver from Mexico, told FreightWaves in a July interview. “Drivers are routinely beaten every day. There are trucks stolen from drivers every day, and the National Guard and the federal government as well as the state governments do nothing to protect the drivers from assaults.”
The state of Mexico, along with the states of Puebla and Guanajuato in the central part of the country, experienced significant increases of cargo theft compared to other locations in the region, according to Overhaul.
Food and beverage products were the most targeted cargo by thieves in Mexico, accounting for 31% of cases, followed by building and industrial (12%). Other commodities targeted by thieves included home and garden goods (7%), auto parts (7%), and pharmaceuticals (5%).
The main tactic used by criminals in Mexico is the interception of cargo trucks while they are in transit, accounting for 72% during the third quarter. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
The main tactic used by criminals in Mexico is the interception of cargo trucks while they are in transit, accounting for 72% during the third quarter. Theft from trucks in unsecured parking areas accounted for 27% of incidents in the quarter.
While Overhaul did not provide an exact number of cargo theft cases during the third quarter, the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions (AMIS) reported a 1% year-over-year increase to 9,454 cargo theft events between January and October.
Mexican authorities said efforts to increase security on the country’s highways have helped reduce cargo theft in recent months.
Known as the Balam strategy, the initiative by Mexico’s National Guard focuses on the states with the highest rates of cargo theft.
The strategy included the use of 456 patrol cars, 37 drones, two helicopters, one aircraft, and 23 investigation cells deployed across Mexico’s federal highways.
The plan has led to an 8.8% decrease in highway robbery and an increase of 24.2% in the recovery of stolen vehicles, according to a presentation Wednesday by National Guard Chief Hernan Cortes Hernandez.
The strategy has led to the arrests of 33 people and the recovery of 225 vehicles and 77,000 gallons of stolen fuel.
Source: Overhaul
