Are highway robberies really going down?

Authorities announce a decrease in highway robberies, attributing it to security operations. Does it coincide with citizen perception?

The official version vs. the reality of asphalt

The National Guard came out today with their weekly good news report. According to them, highway robberies are on the decline. General Guillermo Briceño announced it in the morning at the Palace, as part of the “Zero Highway Robbery” operation.

“The operation called ‘Zero Highway Robbery’ remains active, which has allowed us to improve surveillance on more than 50 thousand kilometers of road network,” said Briceño.

More than 20 thousand elements deployed, they say. Concentrated in Puebla, Hidalgo, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. Coordination with transporters, recovery of vehicles… the speech is perfectly rehearsed.

RelatedBalam strategy reduces thefts on national highways

What is not said on the podium

But here’s the detail they always leave out: did anyone ask the truckers? To the drivers who travel those 50 thousand kilometers daily? The official figures are nice on paper, but fear on the roads is not measured with statistics.

The Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System completes the picture: high-impact crimes decreasing since 2018, vehicle theft with violence also decreasing. Everything perfect, everything under control.

I wonder: if everything is going so well, why do we continue to see videos of assaults on the highway? Why are transporters’ WhatsApp groups still full of alerts? Collective memory is longer than any morning conference.

Let’s remember: every time they announce a “downward trend”, it is worth reviewing what they defined as “theft” for that statistic. And above all, ask ourselves if this decrease is felt where it really matters: on the steering wheel.

Imports of Mexican cattle to the US resume

Following a health agreement, the US will reopen the port of Douglas, Arizona, for Mexican cattle.

President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that the United States will resume importing Mexican cattle starting the last week of August. The decision came after an official communication from the US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins.

Reopening schedule

The reopening will begin at the border port of Agua Prieta, Sonora, linked to the Douglas crossing, Arizona. August 24 will be the first date of operation. Later, two additional points will be enabled in Chihuahua, subject to compliance with the Joint Action Plan against screwworm.

Sheinbaum instructed federal agencies to accelerate coordination with US authorities. He highlighted the work of the Secretary of Agriculture, Julio Berdegué, and the director of Senasica, Columba López, to strengthen health measures.

  • The animals will enter with complete inspections to verify that they do not show signs of the plague.
  • Later, the opening of the ports of Santa Teresa and Columbus, in New Mexico, will be evaluated.

The president described the news as positive for Mexican ranchers, who for months contained the spread of the screwworm. He appreciated Rollins’ willingness to maintain an institutional relationship.

Rollins, for his part, stated that the protection of the US livestock industry remains a priority and that the temporary closure of crossings was necessary to reduce risks. The reopening is possible thanks to binational collaboration.

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More than eight million apocryphal cigarettes seized in Manzanillo

Joint operation in Manzanillo detected shipment of counterfeit cigarettes.

Operational in the port of Manzanillo

Federal authorities seized more than eight million allegedly apocryphal cigarettes in the port of Manzanillo, Colima. The operation was coordinated by agencies of the security cabinet and the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM).

Personnel from the ANAM and the Administrative Unit of the Manzanillo Customs detected inconsistencies in an operation to import cigarettes from abroad. This led to a specialized review.

As a result of the inspections, the authorities located 8 million 436 presumably counterfeit cigarettes. The merchandise was insured with the support of the Secretary of the Navy (Semar).

The ANAM reported that this type of operations are part of the permanent mechanisms of operational intelligence, risk management and strategic analysis. The objective is to strengthen security in foreign trade operations and detect documentary irregularities or goods of illicit origin.

The comprehensive analysis of the operation made it possible to reinforce documentary traceability, operational review and validation of commercial profiles. The authorities maintain surveillance at entry points into the country to combat illegal trade.

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Perception of insecurity drops to 59.8%: Sheinbaum

Perception of insecurity in Mexico drops to 59.8%, the lowest figure since 2018.

ENSU results

President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that the perception of insecurity in urban areas fell to 59.8% in June 2026, according to the National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU) of the INEGI. In December 2025 it was 63.8%, which represents six consecutive months of decline.

“The important thing here is that we are giving results in the security indicators and people are beginning to notice this decrease,” he said during the morning conference in Cuernavaca, Morelos.

Historical comparison

Sheinbaum recalled that in December 2018, under the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the perception of insecurity was 73.7%. The previous lowest point was reached in September 2024 at 58.6%. The president attributed the improvement to the National Security Strategy.

The ENSU measures citizens’ feeling of insecurity in their environment. Recent data reflects a positive trend, although the challenge remains to maintain the reduction in crime. The authorities continue to implement actions to consolidate these results.

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