Statistics from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System indicate that 119 investigations were opened in the state of Oaxaca for cargo truck robberies on federal and state highways during 2026.
According to official figures, the State of Mexico and the neighboring state of Puebla are the most dangerous due to the number of assaults committed against this productive sector. It is even noted that the Oaxaca-Cuacnopalan highway, and specifically the section from Tehuacán to Puebla, is one of the most dangerous in the southeast and has forced carriers to adopt preventive and security measures.
Based on these official statistics, a truck driver was the victim of a cargo truck robbery every three days, on average, and October was a particularly deadly month, with 20 assaults—an average of one cargo truck robbery every day and a half—accelerating the crime rate for cargo theft.
Road cargo theft in Mexico remains a hotspot in specific regions of the country, particularly in the central and Bajío regions, where states like the State of Mexico and Puebla account for the highest number of cases registered during 2025, in a context of high mobility during holiday periods such as Holy Week.
Just on April 23, on the Oaxaca-Cuacnopalan highway near the town of San José Ixtapa, in the municipality of Cañada Morelos, Puebla, an armed robbery was reported against a driver traveling in a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
The incident was captured on video and shared on social media, showing the moment the alleged assailants subdued the victim.
After being forced to stop, one of the alleged assailants, wearing a white sweatshirt, pulled the victim out of the vehicle and pointed a gun at him.
The violence of the robbery, recorded by witnesses, sparked outrage among the population, who criticized the lack of support and presence of National Guard personnel.
The State of Mexico leads the nation in robberies with 23,927 cases, followed by Puebla with 12,337, confirming the concentration of crime in key transportation and economic corridors.
These states are followed by Jalisco, Baja California, Sinaloa, Mexico City, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Veracruz, and Morelos, making up the group of the 10 states with the highest number of robberies.
Criminal activity reveals a defined territorial pattern, concentrated along strategic routes such as the Mexico-Puebla-Veracruz and Mexico-Querétaro corridors, and the Bajío industrial zone, where production centers, ports, and distribution networks converge, making them attractive targets for criminal groups.
Based on figures through March, the State Public Security System (SESSP) reports 19 robberies of truck drivers in Oaxaca so far in 2026. This averages out to one robbery every 3.15 days, a slight decrease in the frequency of these thefts compared to 2025.
January, with 8 cases, and February, with 9, have been the most violent months this year; in March, only 2 crimes were reported against drivers, according to federal statistics.
Of these robberies, 14 involved violence and 5 did not; 7 out of every 10 cargo thefts from truck drivers are violent, representing 73%. Last year, of the 119 reported incidents, 69% of drivers stated they were victims of violence, while only a third reported no violence.
Nationally, the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions and the National Chamber of Freight Transportation have reported that the problem persists at levels similar to previous years, with an average of 20 to 25 robberies per day, suggesting possible underreporting or a shift toward specific routes.
The phenomenon, documented since at least 2020, maintains consistent patterns: the highest-risk times are concentrated between midnight and 2:00 a.m., and the most dangerous stretches coincide with high-traffic economic routes. Given this, experts recommend avoiding nighttime travel, planning routes, and using toll highways to reduce risks.
Source: imparcialoaxaca
