Borderlands Mexico: Criminal groups keep pressure on Mexican freight networks.
FreightWaves reports that criminal organizations continue to exert sustained pressure on freight transportation infrastructure and operations across Mexico, particularly along key trade corridors connecting the United States and Mexico.
This persistent threat affects trucking routes, logistics hubs, and cross-border supply chain reliability, with documented incidents increasing in frequency and geographic scope over the past 12 months.
Operational Disruptions
Criminal activity—including extortion, hijackings, and roadblock deployments—has disrupted movement across at least five major freight corridors in northern and central Mexico, including routes serving Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.
’ SONAR data, freight tender rejection rates for northbound Mexico loads rose by 23% year-over-year in Q2 2026, reflecting carrier reluctance due to security concerns.
Trucking firms have reported paying an average of $1,200 in informal “protection fees” to avoid vehicle seizures or driver abductions, a cost increasingly factored into rate negotiations.
Impact on Cross-Border Trade
Delays at the US–Mexico land border have lengthened average dwell times at ports of entry by 42% since early 2025, driven partly by heightened inspection protocols following repeated cargo thefts near Laredo and Nuevo Laredo.
FreightWaves notes that 2026 fiscal year projections for Mexican over-the-road freight volumes show a 1.8% contraction compared to 2025, reversing two years of growth.
The source states that these pressures are forcing shippers to reevaluate routing strategies, with some diverting up to 30% of previously Mexico-bound truckload volume through alternative multimodal paths involving rail and inland waterways.
Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
