Organized crime robs a freight train every three hours in Mexico, with more than 17,000 incidents reported between 2020 and 2025. Coahuila, Sonora, Guanajuato, and Jalisco account for over half of these thefts, highlighting the growing threat to national logistics and competitiveness.
Scope of the Problem
- Frequency: One train robbery every 180 minutes.
- Total Cases: 17,176 thefts reported from January 2020 to October 2025.
- Affected States:
- Coahuila: 14.8% of cases
- Sonora: 12.5%
- Guanajuato: 12%
- Jalisco: 11.4%
- These four states represent 50.7% of all robberies nationwide.
Criminal Modus Operandi
- Sophisticated tactics: Cutting rails to force derailments, intercepting trains with high-speed vehicles, or infiltrating railway workers to identify valuable cargo.
- Targeted goods: Electronics, hydrocarbons, food, and auto parts—items with high resale value.
- Cartel involvement:
- Cártel de Sinaloa specializes in robberies during train movement.
- CJNG empties trains in minutes, often redistributing goods to communities to secure loyalty.
- Santa Rosa de Lima has attempted to derail cargo.
Hotspots
- Most dangerous municipalities:
- El Fuerte, Sinaloa (558 robberies)
- Culiacán, Sinaloa (494)
- Hermosillo, Sonora (467)
- Cajeme, Sonora (461)
- These areas overlap with cartel disputes, particularly the ongoing “war in Sinaloa” between factions of the Cártel de Sinaloa.
Economic and Social Impact
- Logistics risk: Rail is one of Mexico’s most efficient modes of transport; insecurity forces companies to switch to more expensive alternatives such as trucking or air freight.
- Rising costs: Firms face higher insurance premiums, security expenses, and losses that ultimately raise consumer prices.
- Competitiveness: Frequent robberies undermine Mexico’s position in global trade, especially in manufacturing and export sectors.
Experts warn that train robberies are now among the most persistent crimes in Mexico, fueled by cartel financing needs and community control strategies. Without stronger enforcement and anti-corruption measures, the country risks further erosion of its supply chain reliability and economic competitiveness.
Source: MILENIO
