While most people are stuck indoors, unemployed, and struggle to meet their needs, gangs in Mexico have resorted to highway robberies targeting transport trucks carrying basic goods such as food and other essentials amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to a recent article, LoJack México, a company that specializes in the recovery of stolen vehicles, reported that robbery of transport trucks had increased 25 percent while car theft is up by 10 percent during the coronavirus quarantine period.

LoJack México Director David Román told the local newspaper that the company there had been a decline in vehicle theft earlier this year. Still, numbers soared again with the commencement of the coronavirus containment measures.

"About three months ago, we started to see very encouraging figures, especially in the central part of the country. ... But since the lockdown, we've had a very marked increase in [the robbery of] heavy vehicles," Román said.

He added that some parts of Mexico had recorded more incidents than others.


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"Strangely enough, two municipalities that weren't reporting such high levels, Zapopan and Guadalajara [both in Jalisco], are starting to have very serious problems. [And] the Mexico City-Puebla corridor continues to be a very significant focal point for these gangs," he said.

Román said that the highest number of car thefts continue to hit in the greater Mexico City metropolitan area, particularly the municipalities of Ecatepec and Nezahualcóyotl.

The LoJack director said that crises always lead to a surge in criminal activity, most notably when the National Guard and the army are shifting their focus on the response to COVID-19 than public security.

"It reduces the support they provide to other sectors," he said.

Román warned the public to be extra cautious when driving their vehicles, given that they are susceptible to theft now more than ever.


Dangerous Roads

Among the country's highways, Mexico-Queretaro is considered the most dangerous, according to an article by Latin Post. Not only this stretch has the highest number of accidents at the national level but also because it has registered the highest number of robberies with 2,098 episodes in 2019.

In Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo highway, the presence of criminal groups that extort money from those who traveled on this route has also given it a reputation of being one of the country's most dangerous roads, according to the Federal Police.

Last week, a 32-year-old man named Pat Landers and his girlfriend Karla Baca were killed in broad daylight by gangs while driving along a street in Juarez, according to another article by Latin Post.

Criminal groups have caused Mexico's homicide rate to surge 8.46 percent during March or more than 3,000 homicides from the previous month's 2,766. 

This proves that gangs are not only capable of highway robberies but even killing people despite the government-imposed coronavirus lockdowns.