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

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

Yahoo15-05-2025

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.
Want to learn expert ways to leverage your visibility technology to fight fraud?Check out the Descartes and FreightWaves white paper here.
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.
Expect:
Real stories from the front lines of freight fraud.
Smart compliance strategies that actually work.
How Moscoso Express builds a fraud-proof foundation.
You don't need a badge to bust bad actors — just this chat.Register for FreightWaves' virtual summit on May 21 here.
From the Fraud DeskCheck Call: TIA's annual fraud report spotlights surge in incidents
Insurance costs, fraud and cargo theft hit Landstar's Q1
Cyberthreats surge against US logistics infrastructure
2025 FreightWaves Fraud Fighters Awards recognize FreightTech innovators
Articles by Grace Sharkey
The post Avocados, auto parts and ambushes: Inside Mexico's cargo theft crisis appeared first on FreightWaves.

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NWSL and WNBA unions release joint statement in response to immigration raids across the U.S.
NWSL and WNBA unions release joint statement in response to immigration raids across the U.S.

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time30 minutes ago

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NWSL and WNBA unions release joint statement in response to immigration raids across the U.S.

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Trump Takes Credit For LA Protests Dying Down After Clashes With Newsom
Trump Takes Credit For LA Protests Dying Down After Clashes With Newsom

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Trump Takes Credit For LA Protests Dying Down After Clashes With Newsom

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L.A. Immigration Crackdown Sparks Concerns About Possible Martial Law
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Forbes

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L.A. Immigration Crackdown Sparks Concerns About Possible Martial Law

TOPSHOT - Demonstrators holding signs and flags face California National Guard members standing ... More guard outside the Federal Building as they protest in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, on June 9, 2025. US President Donald Trump on June 9 ordered active-duty Marines into Los Angeles, vowing those protesting immigration arrests would be "hit harder" than ever. Protests in Los Angeles, home to a large Latino population, broke out on June 6, triggered by immigration raids that resulted in dozens of arrests of what authorities say are illegal migrants and gang members. (Photo by Apu GOMES / AFP) (Photo by APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images) In recent weeks, the Los Angeles immigration crackdown has become the epicentre of a dangerous national experiment—one in which immigration enforcement is serving as the pretext for something far more ominous: a steady descent into possible martial law. The deployment of U.S. military forces into California without the governor's consent, the violent sweep of immigration raids, and the weaponization of emergency powers all signal that the constitutional order is under siege. President Donald Trump's decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops and Marines into California was met with outrage from state leaders and legal experts alike. California Governor Gavin Newsom has called the action 'an illegal, immoral, and unconstitutional act,' and the state has filed suit against the federal government, citing violations of the U.S. Federal Code, which prohibit federalizing state militias except in cases of invasion, rebellion, or when a state cannot enforce its own laws. None of those conditions apply in this case. Yet the justification offered by the administration—that Los Angeles was on the brink of collapse due to immigrant protests—is as false and inflammatory as was demonstrated on a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel, which showed footage of quiet Los Angeles streets. Following a series of ICE raids that detained over 100 people, protests erupted across the city. While the Los Angeles Police Department stated that the demonstrations were largely peaceful, federal officials framed them as acts of rebellion. In televised comments, President Trump, without evidence, declared that Los Angeles would have been 'completely obliterated' without military intervention. However, some legal scholars point out that such claims are disturbingly reminiscent of how autocrats have historically manufactured crises to seize power. For instance, in comments made recently by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, he warned, 'Be wary of paramilitaries. When the men with guns claim to be against the system, the system is under threat.' These warning signs are increasing. Earlier this year, President Trump re-declared a national emergency at the southern border, significantly intensifying deportation efforts, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions. His Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, asserts that these efforts are crucial to national security. However, critics contend that the raids are politically motivated, intended to incite chaos and test the boundaries of presidential authority. This is not mere conjecture. There have been calls to arrest Governor Newsom for defying the troop deployment—an idea that would equate to criminalizing political opposition. The implications are chilling. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Republicans are racing to pass what Trump has dubbed his 'big, beautiful bill,' a sprawling legislative package that, among other things, includes over $46 billion for the border wall and ICE funding. The administration is leveraging the unrest in Los Angeles to push hesitant GOP senators to fall in line. The proposed bill also imposes a $1,000 asylum application fee—an unprecedented barrier to legal refuge—and earmarks billions more for new Border Patrol and customs agents. These aren't merely policy choices; they are tools of exclusion and intimidation. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), a leading voice for the legislation, is actively urging his colleagues to use the Los Angeles protests as proof of why ICE and the border crackdown require even more support. Beyond Capitol Hill, the cultural symbolism of this shift is equally revealing. Trump has announced a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., timed to coincide with the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary—and his own birthday. With tanks, howitzers, and cruise missile launchers on display, the spectacle is designed to evoke strength. But it also mirrors the authoritarian aesthetics of regimes like Russia and North Korea. The question is, where is this all heading? During his first term, Trump was dissuaded from invoking the Insurrection Act during the George Floyd protests only after senior military officials objected. This time, with loyalists appointed to key positions, those checks seem to be absent. Historically, there exists a dangerous precedent for all this. In 1933, Adolf Hitler used the Reichstag Fire to suspend civil liberties and consolidate power. Legal analysts are increasingly drawing comparisons between that moment and today's ongoing use of emergency powers in the name of immigration control. 'If you saw all this in any other country — soldiers sent to crush dissent, union leaders arrested, opposition politicians threatened — it would be clear that autocracy had arrived,' said constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe. Even tech magnates are playing a role. Elon Musk, who now owns X (formerly Twitter), has eliminated most content moderation, amplifying polarizing rhetoric and misinformation. His platform has become a megaphone for conspiracy theories that portray immigrants as invaders and critics as traitors. Beneath all these disturbing developments in the crackdown on immigrants lies a core question: Is the United States still a democracy governed by civilian law, or is it becoming a militarized state ruled by executive whim? The courts may still provide a line of defense. California's lawsuit regarding the unauthorized deployment of federal troops will test the judiciary's willingness to uphold the Constitution. However, history teaches us that legal battles alone cannot protect democracy when institutions are co-opted or eroded. What is unfolding is more than a dispute over immigration policy; it is a stress test of America's democratic fabric. The use of immigration raids to justify military actions, the demonization of peaceful protests, and the consolidation of emergency powers—these are not isolated events. They form a pattern. While Americans seem divided on the issue of military use in the Los Angeles immigration crackdown, with half in favour and the other half, particularly Californians, opposed, June 14th, 2025, the 'No Kings National Day of Action,' promises to be a pivotal day for America as immigration protests, which have spread to other cities, will likely reach their peak on that day. While this unfolds, Trump will head to Canada to attend the G-7 meeting while keeping a watchful eye on events back home. Meanwhile, the fate of the Republic may hinge not on whether Trump builds a wall, but on whether Americans permit him to dismantle the walls of constitutional restraint in the name of constructing it.

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