The highways of Mexico continue to be risky for truckers as cargo thefts rose 4.5% year-over-year (y/y) in November, according to latest data from Mexican authorities.

In November, the country’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) and the Attorney General’s Office recorded a total of 1,181 cargo theft incidents, about 39.5 a day.

In comparison, a total of 214 cargo thefts occurred in the U.S. during the second quarter (April through May), according to the latest data from supply chain visibility provider Sensitech. During the second quarter, there were 66 incidents in April, 86 in May and 62 in June.

Mexican authorities tallied 11,989 total crimes committed against carriers across the country from January through November, a 7% y/y increase compared to the first 11 months of 2021.

The state of Mexico ranked No. 1 in cargo thefts in November with 448 cases, followed by the states of Puebla (252) and Guanajuato (162).

The most commonly stolen goods included fresh food, food and beverage items, fuel, construction materials, automotive parts and electronic products.

Jordan Dewart, president of logistics operator Redwood Mexico, recently told FreightWaves that cargo theft is a problem affecting cross-border trade.

“A Christmas wish would be that the Mexican government take action against the growing criminal elements and cargo theft in Mexico,” DeWart said. “Once isolated in certain pockets, it is now prevalent in all major cities and highways in Mexico. It is the single largest threat to derail an otherwise extremely promising future for Mexico.”