Avocados, auto parts and ambushes: Inside Mexico's cargo theft crisis

Yahoo

15-05-2025

Cargo theft remains a critical threat to logistics networks across Mexico, with the first quarter of 2025 revealing both troubling trends and tactical shifts in criminal behavior. According to Overhaul's Q1 2025 Cargo Theft Report, an overwhelming 81% of all cargo theft incidents reported nationwide involved violence, highlighting the persistent danger facing drivers and supply chain operators.
Geographically, theft was highly concentrated. Nearly 78% of cargo thefts occurred in Mexico's central and Southeast regions, with the central region alone accounting for 61% of all incidents. Two states, Mexico and Puebla, each reported 19% of the national total, maintaining their status as the most dangerous regions for cargo transport. Additionally, theft in Guanajuato and San Luis Potosí surged, each rising by 3 percentage points compared to Q1 2024.
A deeper look into temporal patterns shows that 82% of all thefts occurred from Monday through Friday, with peak activity from Tuesday through Friday (69%). The most dangerous time windows were 6 p.m. to midnight (31% of incidents) and 6 a.m. to noon (28%), aligning with common cargo movement schedules and suggesting targeted strikes during transit shifts.
Food and beverage shipments were the top target, representing 34% of thefts. This category saw a 5-percentage-point increase over Q1 2024, with avocados identified as a specific high-value item. Other rising categories included auto parts (up 4 points), particularly tires and electrical components, and chemicals such as detergents and plastics (up 1 point). Home and garden products, especially appliances, also saw a modest increase in theft.In terms of tactics, criminals primarily intercepted trucks in motion, accounting for 62.6% of cases. The theft of parked vehicles accounted for 36.8%, often occurring in zones associated with fuel theft and organized crime.
Overhaul also shared a notable success story in Queretaro, where its Mission Security Operations Center tracked a compromised food shipment in real time. After the truck's engine was remotely disabled and then forcibly reactivated by criminals, the MSOC coordinated with the National Guard to intercept the perpetrators, rescue the driver and recover the stolen cargo.
To mitigate ongoing threats, Overhaul recommends transiting during daylight hours and implementing a multilayered security approach combining physical and electronic safeguards. Its platform, for example, provides real-time tracking, behavioral alerts and predictive analytics powered by GPS, weather and historical crime data.
Freight fraud has gone digital and more dangerous. According to Descartes, fraud in today's transportation landscape extends well beyond stolen cargo. Tactics like spoofed GPS signals, fake identities and double-brokering are costing brokers and shippers millions, while leaving behind complex digital fingerprints. Fortunately, visibility platforms are becoming a powerful line of defense.By layering real-time location tracking with AI-powered behavioral analysis, carriers can now detect red flags such as ping gaps, out-of-route movements, suspicious VoIP contacts and high-risk delivery stops. Fraud prevention doesn't stop on the road. Tools that verify VIN geolocation, insurance status and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration authority during onboarding help keep bad actors out from the start.
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In this episode of Check Call with Mary O'Connell, we get into some freight fraud trends that are more commonplace than double brokering. Her guest, Michael Grace, VP of customer risk management at Highway, breaks down how carrier sales reps and shippers can be a first line of defense against fraud.
Cargo theft. Identity spoofing. Double-brokering.If it sounds like a heist movie, it's because it practically is.
Join Elizabeth Moscoso, president of Moscoso Express, and FreightWaves' own Grace Sharkey as they expose the tricks of the trade — and the tech, trust and tactics needed to stay one step ahead.
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