Armed Criminals Hijack Truck At Gunpoint On Highway In Chichimequillas, Queretaro

 By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Key points:

• Armed criminals hijacked a cargo truck on the Queretaro - Irapuato highway in Queretaro.
• This highway in particular is known by truckers to be unsafe.
• Highway theft is up 9% in Mexico this year, with  35,384 cases so far this year.
• 89% of cargo theft in Mexico occurs on highways.
• Highways are considered by 60.1% of Mexicans to be unsafe.

This afternoon, armed criminals hijacked a cargo truck at gunpoint in Chichimequillas, on the Queretaro - Irapuato highway in the state of Queretaro. The criminals then drove the vehicle in the direction of Mexico City. Cases of highway theft are increasingly frequent in Mexico, on the rise again after a drop during Covid-19.

The truck's dashboard video shows two large SUVs pull ahead to block it. A man leans out of a window and waves a firearm at the drivers, ordering them to stop.

A camera inside the vehicle pointing at the drivers shows their shocked reaction, as they stop the vehicle, terrified. As the truck stops, five armed masked men get out of the two SUVs and point their weapons at the drivers. Breaking glass can be heard. The drivers put their hands up and surrender the vehicle.

The inside camera shows two of the criminals enter and drive the truck away. According to Poresto, the truck was recovered by local authorities further down the highway.

In May, Queretaro news outlet Diario Rotativo reported that traversing this highway is dreaded by truck drivers due to the daily violent attacks by criminal groups. According to their article, criminals hijack vehicles, sometimes kidnapping the drivers, and steal the cargo. Sometimes, local police will even threaten and assault the drivers, demanding that they not report the hijackings.

Highway theft and robbery of cargo is on the rise in Mexico after plummeting due to diminished transport due to Covid-19. There have been 35,384 robberies on highways and streets in Mexico so this year, representing a 9% increase from the 32,433 robberies in the same period last year. 

Since 2020, two out of every three robberies of cargo in North America have taken place in Mexico.

89% of  cargo theft occurs on highways, according to a report on cargo theft in Mexico by SafeLink, highlighting the shocking insecurity on the nation's highway system. 

Highways are considered one of the most dangerous locations by Mexicans, with 60.1% answering that they feel unsafe on them, according to a recent government survey on citizen perceptions on security.

Sources: Cinco Radio Official Twitter, Rotativo, ENVIPE 2021 (Page 52/60), SafeLink, Transportemx, Cronica, Graphs made by TreResearch, Poresto