Overhaul's annual report shows 82% of cargo thefts concentrated in Centro and Bajío regions. Criminals have shifted schedules, targeted products, and methods, with more thefts from stationary vehicles. Autopartes and electronics saw notable increases in incidents.
In presenting the Annual Report on Cargo Theft in Mexico 2025, Luis Enrique Villatoro, Overhaul's Intelligence Director, highlighted shifts in cargo trucking theft. Nationally, 82% of incidents occurred in the Centro and Bajío regions, with 83% happening Monday through Friday. Peaks were Tuesday to Friday (69%), with highest activity bands from 5:00 to 10:00 a.m. (28%) and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (31%). The 6:00 p.m. to midnight nighttime slot accounted for 33% of cases, down 4% from 2024.
Most stolen goods were food and beverages (31%), industrial construction materials (8%), autopartes (8%), miscellaneous (8%), and fuel (7%). Compared to 2024, autopartes rose 3%, fuel 3%, and electronics 2%, focusing on televisions, cell phones, and video game consoles. Villatoro noted: “Historically this category [food] represents nearly one-third of national incidents”.
In modus operandi, interception of moving vehicles fell to 64% from 76%, while thefts from stationary ones rose to 33% from 21.2%. “Today, one in three incidents occurs when the vehicle is stopped,” Villatoro explained.
Bajío region saw 31% of thefts, up 7 percentage points, led by Guanajuato (36%), Jalisco (22%), Michoacán (19%), and Querétaro (16%). In Centro, Estado de México had 21% and Puebla 17%, though Puebla dropped 6%. Other changes include rises in Guanajuato and Veracruz (2% each) and falls in Jalisco and Hidalgo (2% each). 82% of crimes involved violence, per the National Public Security System.
Villatoro stressed data-driven prevention: “Based on this information we can not only identify the risk, but make adjustments for prevention.” The report calls for strengthening safe routes and rest stop analyses.
