Truck drivers in Mexico are exposed to 21 robberies a day, and in 80% of cases they are violent

Four truck drivers left the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, bound for Oaxaca on November 18. Their families say they were traveling together and that the last time they spoke with them was two days later, when they were in the municipality of Matías Romero, on their way to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. They have been unaccounted for ever since. Authorities have issued missing persons alerts. To date, only the whereabouts of the trucks are known, but the drivers have not been found. The State Search Commission and the Attorney General’s Office are working to locate Aldher Moreno, 38, Fernando Castro, 41, Andrés Ramos, 28, and Juan Pérez, 37. This incident is yet another example of the insecurity faced by truckers traveling throughout Mexico, who are exposed to violent crime in 80% of cases.

In response to the disappearances, dozens of roadblocks closed highways across Mexico as drivers demanded greater security on the roads. Truck drivers joined farmers in protesting against the government to express their frustration over insecurity. In Mexico, cargo trucks are robbed at least 8,000 times a year, an average of 21 times a day. While the number has decreased since peaking in 2018 at 35.8 per day, the violence persists. Eight out of 10 robberies involve an attack against the driver, according to data from the Executive Secretariat of Public Security, which tracks investigations into these crimes. Between January and October 2025 alone, more than 5,200 trucks were robbed.

Mexico City is one of the most important hubs for freight transport. The largest wholesale market is located in the capital, and thousands of products pass through its facilities. These goods also reach distribution centers and other key locations throughout the country. The highways surrounding this central hub are, by far, the ones with the highest crime rates.

More than 80% of violent robberies of truck drivers occur between the State of Mexico and Puebla, followed — at a much lower level — by Michoacán and San Luis Potosí, where crimes against other types of drivers are also reported. In the case of passenger vehicles, 60% of reported thefts are non-violent.

According to data from the monitoring company Overhaul, the most common robberies target trucks carrying food and beverages (33%), followed by construction and industrial vehicles (10%), and trucks carrying miscellaneous goods (7%). Vania Barragán, who works for a monitoring company in Mexico City, notes that thieves also steal cash (which drivers often carry to pay for diesel), as well as the fuel itself. Additionally, thieves often force drivers out of their trucks at gunpoint to steal their tires, which are then sold on the black market.

Another common problem on the highways is bribery or extortion — involving irregular payments demanded by authorities. According to Barragán, drivers are often stopped at checkpoints, and under the pretext that some documents are incorrect, members of the National Guard ask for at least 5,000 pesos ($273). On some trips, as drivers pass through more inspections, they are asked for bribes two or three times. Certain routes are well-known for the high level of extortion, such as those leading to Villahermosa.

Overhaul explains that attacks against truckers usually occur while they are in transit — in 65% of cases — while 34% take place when the vehicles are stopped. Drivers themselves tend to avoid stopping on dangerous roads, and if they need to do so, security personnel often discourage them. Barragán also recalls incidents where staged collisions are used to extort exorbitant payments, and the presence of organized crime groups, who openly identify themselves as gang members to drivers. Most reported incidents occur between 6:00 p.m. and midnight, with Wednesday being the most common day.

According to Barragán, thefts are not always reported to the authorities, as private companies often choose to compensate for the losses internally, a practice that has become common. This is reflected in the national statistics on unreported crime: according to Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 93.2% of crimes go unreported. To avoid falling victim to crime, some companies request armed escorts for their transport vehicles, although this depends on the value of the goods being transported.

The government of Claudia Sheinbaum claims that highway robberies have decreased by 54% since 2018. However, the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions (AMIS) reports a 14.2% increase from 2019 to mid-2025. This includes robberies of buses, trucks, semi-trailers, and tractor-trailers. The most significant increase has been in buses, which rose by 56.8%.

Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security Omar García Harfuch pledged recently to improve highway conditions to protect drivers. The Mexican Employers’ Confederation (Coparmex) has joined the truckers’ demands, pointing out that those affected are not only the drivers or the companies transporting goods, but that the consequences extend throughout the production chain due to “delays and economic losses.” The Confederation of Industrial Chambers of Mexico (Concamin) details that losses for the sector reach 15 million pesos ($820,000) per day.

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