Key Players and Their Concerns
Eight organizations representing 95% of Jalisco’s cargo transport industry have joined forces to demand enhanced security measures from all levels of government. These organizations are concerned about the increasing violence affecting their sector, including robberies, assaults, and extortion.
Who are these organizations?
- Asociación Nacional de Empresarios Mexicanos de Grúas (AGRÚAS)
- AMOTAG
- Cámara Nacional del Autotransporte de Carga (Canacar Jalisco)
- Confederación Nacional de Transportistas Mexicanos (Conatram)
- Empresarios del Corredor Guadalajara-Chapala
- Federación Mexicana de Transportistas A.C. (Fematrac)
- Integradora de Derechos Convencionales (Indeco)
- Unión de Comerciantes del Mercado de Abastos (UCMA)
Recent Violent Incidents and Their Impact
The transport industry has reported a 20% increase in illicit activities during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Recent violent incidents have occurred along Jalisco’s borders with Michoacán, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Colima, and Nayarit. Criminal organizations have been setting trucks and trailers on fire to block roads.
“They’re already shooting at our drivers, attacking people who work legally, and we’re short of drivers (between 10,000 and 12,000 in Jalisco). This scares people away from the job,” said Alfredo Cárdenas, state delegate of the National Association of Mexican Cargo Transport Companies (Canacar).
Alfredo Cárdenas emphasized the need for increased physical presence and patrols on highways.
Demand for Enhanced Security Measures
The transport organizations are calling on the federal government to involve the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection and the National Guard for increased patrols on federal highways in Jalisco.
They have also urged the Jalisco state government to boost police presence and attention on highways, particularly in Los Altos, Ciénega, Sur, and Poniente regions.
Economic Significance of the Cargo Transport Industry
These eight organizations jointly represent 95% of Jalisco’s cargo transporters and move 97% of the state’s goods. They generate 120,000 direct jobs and 600,000 indirect ones.
Smaller Transporters Disproportionately Affected
According to Ramiro Campos, state vice president of Fematrac, smaller transporters (those owning one or two trucks, sometimes even just a pickup) are more severely impacted by robberies and assaults since losing a single truck can devastate their family’s assets.
Damaris Tapia, Indeco Jalisco’s coordinator, echoed these concerns, stating that smaller transporters are increasingly facing more violent robberies. They highlighted the vulnerability of trucks on the Macrolibramiento, which lacks mobile phone signal.
The transport organizations reported that insurance companies refuse to pay for damages caused by organized crime using vehicles to set them on fire and block roads, classifying these acts as “vandalism.”
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main issue? The cargo transport industry in Jalisco demands improved road safety due to rising violence, including robberies, assaults, and extortion.
- Who are the key players involved? Eight organizations representing 95% of Jalisco’s cargo transport industry, including AGRÚAS, AMOTAG, Canacar Jalisco, Conatram, Empresarios del Corredor Guadalajara-Chapala, Fematrac, Indeco, and UCMA.
- What specific demands have they made? They are calling for increased patrols on highways by federal and state authorities.
- Why are smaller transporters particularly affected? Smaller transporters, often owning only one or two trucks, face greater financial losses when their vehicles are stolen or damaged.
- How do insurance companies respond to these incidents? Insurance companies often refuse to pay for damages caused by organized crime using vehicles to block roads, classifying these acts as “vandalism.”
