Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Criminal groups keep pressure on Mexican freight networks; Nuevo León posts $17B in IMMEX exports through May; and Mitsubishi Logistics invests $40 million in U.S. warehouse expansion.

Criminal groups keep pressure on Mexican freight networks

Mexican authorities say cargo theft targeting trucking companies is declining nationwide, while Overhaul and recent industry warnings indicate organized criminal groups continue to pressure freight operators across some of the country’s busiest logistics corridors.

Guillermo Briseño Lobera, commander of Mexico’s National Guard, said cargo thefts involving trucking companies are projected to decline 37% in 2026 compared with the 6,263 incidents reported in 2025, according to La Jornada.

Authorities have recorded 2,519 cargo thefts so far this year, extending a downward trend that has seen the crime fall 52.07% between 2018 and 2025.

Briseño said the federal government’s Balam highway security strategy has helped drive the decline. The program, which operates in 12 states, reduced cargo theft incidents by 37.19% between 2024 and 2025 while also increasing recoveries of stolen cargo vehicles.

Authorities also reported sharp reductions along several major freight corridors, including the Mexico-Querétaro route, where cargo theft fell 85.7%, the Mexico-Puebla corridor, where thefts dropped 90%, and the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway, where officials reported no cargo theft incidents.

However, new data from supply chain risk management firm Overhaul’s Mexico Q2 2026 Cargo Theft Report suggests cargo theft remains one of the country’s most significant supply chain security challenges, particularly for operators moving through central Mexico’s main trucking lanes.

Central Mexico remains cargo theft epicenter

Overhaul found that 76% of cargo theft incidents involved violence, highlighting the continuing threat facing drivers and fleets operating across Mexico.

Cargo theft activity remains heavily concentrated in central and western Mexico, the company said.

Its second-quarter analysis found that 77% of cargo theft incidents occurred in the Center and West regions of the country, accounting for 46% and 31% of reported thefts, respectively.

The State of Mexico, Puebla and Guanajuato remained the three most affected states in the quarter, accounting for nearly half of all cargo theft activity nationwide.

The State of Mexico represented 18% of incidents, Puebla 17.9% and Guanajuato 10.8%. Overall, 86.3% of Mexico’s cargo theft incidents were concentrated in just 10 states.

While theft activity declined in Puebla and the State of Mexico compared with a year earlier, Overhaul reported increases in Guanajuato, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Michoacán and Tlaxcala.

Criminals targeting food, fuel and agricultural products

Food and beverage shipments remained the most frequently targeted cargo category during the second quarter, accounting for 30% of thefts, followed by miscellaneous freight at 11%, auto parts at 9%, construction and industrial products at 9%, and fuel at 7%.

Overhaul said agricultural cargo theft showed one of the largest year-over-year increases. Agro-related thefts rose by four percentage points, with fertilizers and pesticides among the most targeted products. Auto parts theft increased by three percentage points, while fuel theft rose by two percentage points.

Most thefts occur during business days and evening hours

Cargo theft patterns remained highly predictable in the second quarter.

Overhaul reported that 85% of cargo theft incidents occurred Monday through Friday, with criminal activity peaking between Tuesday and Friday. The highest-risk period was between 6 p.m. and midnight, accounting for 31% of incidents, while two major theft windows emerged between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Organized crime groups continue evolving tactics

Recent enforcement actions underscore the continued sophistication of cargo theft organizations and the range of offenses now tied to freight routes.

Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection announced Aug. 15 that federal authorities arrested three suspects linked to a criminal cell accused of cargo theft, express kidnappings of truck drivers and corruption of local officials along freight routes in Veracruz and Puebla.

Authorities said the group operated along the Federal Highway 150-D corridor connecting Puebla and Veracruz, one of Mexico’s most important trucking routes.

Nuevo León posts $17B in IMMEX exports through May

Nuevo León recorded more than $17 billion in exports under Mexico’s IMMEX manufacturing program during the first five months of 2026, an 8.9% increase compared with the same period a year earlier, according to a news release.

State officials said Nuevo León accounted for 16% of Mexico’s total IMMEX exports from January through May, underscoring the region’s importance to the country’s export-oriented manufacturing sector.

The state also ranked first nationally in IMMEX employment, with more than 401,000 workers employed by IMMEX companies as of May 2026.

Nuevo León Gov. Samuel García highlighted the export figures during a presentation on the state’s economic performance. García said Nuevo León continues to lead Mexico in attracting new domestic and foreign investment and remains the country’s top manufacturing state, accounting for 12.7% of national manufacturing GDP.

Home to Monterrey and hundreds of manufacturing facilities, Nuevo León has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of nearshoring investment in Mexico, particularly in the automotive, industrial, electronics and logistics sectors.

Mitsubishi Logistics invests $40M in U.S. warehouse expansion

Mitsubishi Logistics is investing $40 million to develop two large-scale distribution centers in the U.S. as part of a strategy to expand its overseas real estate and asset-turnover business, according to Nikkei Asia.

One of the projects will be a 710,000-square-foot distribution center in Houston, Texas, scheduled for completion in July 2027. The second distribution center, to be located in Alabama, is expected to be completed in June 2027.

Mitsubishi Logistics Corp. is a major Japanese global logistics and real estate company founded in April 1887. It is a key member of the Mitsubishi Group, according to its website.

Why it matters: Mexico’s cargo theft problem appears to be improving on paper, but the persistence of violent thefts, organized criminal networks and shifting tactics means shippers, carriers and cross-border logistics providers still face significant security risks across key freight corridors.