Borderlands Mexico: Texas cargo theft falls, but organized crime grows

Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Texas cargo theft falls, but organized crime grows; DP World taps Terry Donohoe to lead Mexico operations; and BNSF boosting capacity, efficiency at Winslow rail hub in Arizona.

Texas cargo theft falls, but organized crime grows

Cargo theft activity across Texas declined sharply in the first quarter, but the broader picture shows a freight market increasingly shaped by organized criminal networks targeting higher-value loads.

Verisk’s CargoNet recorded 80 theft incidents in Texas in Q1 2026, down 22% from 102 a year earlier, signaling a pullback in opportunistic theft along key logistics corridors such as Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, according to a report released on Friday.

That drop, however, doesn’t mean risk is easing for carriers and brokers.

Across the U.S. and Canada, CargoNet logged 767 supply chain crime events in Q1, with estimated losses totaling $131.6 million, roughly flat year over year despite fewer incidents.

Verisk CargoNet is a comprehensive cargo theft prevention and recovery network based in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Texas losing ground as theft shifts to organized networks

Texas has long been one of the country’s most active cargo theft markets, driven by dense freight flows and major distribution hubs. But CargoNet’s latest data suggests a shift away from traditional hot spots.

“The types of opportunistic theft historically common in the Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston logistics corridors appear to be giving way to more targeted operations elsewhere,” the report noted.

Instead, activity is concentrating in regions tied to organized crime networks:

California remained the top state, rising to 277 incidents

New Jersey surged 119% year over year

Together with Texas, the top three states accounted for 54.3% of all thefts in Q1 (per infographic)

The trend reflects a broader structural shift: fewer random thefts and more coordinated, high-value targeting.

Even as total incidents fell 5.3% year over year, losses held steady — underscoring how thieves are becoming more selective.

It mirrors a longer-term pattern. In 2025, CargoNet reported losses surged 60% to nearly $725 million, even as incident counts remained relatively flat, driven by organized groups targeting higher-value freight.

In Q1 2026, that strategy continued:

Confirmed theft cases increased (596 out of 767 events)

Criminals focused on high-demand, easily resold goods

Bulkier, harder-to-move freight (like building materials) declined

CargoNet data shows thieves continuing to prioritize commodities that are easy to offload quickly:

Food and beverage remained the top stolen category

Household goods ranked second

Personal care products saw the fastest growth (+178% year over year)

The appeal is simple: these goods lack serial tracking and have strong resale demand — a dynamic also highlighted in recent theft cases involving seafood and perishable shipments across the U.S.

Perhaps the most important takeaway for carriers and brokers: how theft is happening is changing as much as where.

CargoNet flagged impersonation-based fraud as the dominant tactic in Q1, with organized groups:

Hacking carrier or broker systems via phishing

Stealing credentials to pose as legitimate operators

Purchasing dormant or active motor carrier authorities

Once inside the system, criminals can accept loads, redirect shipments and disappear — often without triggering traditional fraud checks.

“We’re watching transnational organized crime groups become the dominant force,” CargoNet’s Keith Lewis said in a statement, noting their preference for goods that “move easily through online resale channels.”

DP World taps Terry Donohoe to lead Mexico operations

DP World has appointed logistics veteran Terry Donohoe as CEO of its Mexico operations, signaling continued investment in cross-border supply chains tied to U.S.-Mexico trade flows.

Based in Mexico City, Donohoe will oversee DP World’s growing logistics network in the country, which includes five freight forwarding offices and four warehouses across hubs in Monterrey, Guadalajara, Querétaro and Ciudad Juárez, supported by nearly 800 employees.

Ports and logistics operator DP launched operations in Mexico in 2021 and has since built out end-to-end services spanning freight forwarding, warehousing and cross-border logistics.

Donohoe brings more than three decades of experience in global logistics. He most recently served as senior vice president of freight forwarding for the Americas, where he helped scale DP World’s regional network to about 40 offices across multiple countries.

BNSF boosting capacity, efficiency at Winslow rail hub in Arizona

BNSF Railway is expanding rail capacity and improving operational efficiency at its Winslow, Arizona, yard, according to a news release.

The project is part of its 2026 capital program, targeting faster train processing and reduced congestion along a key transcontinental corridor.

Located on BNSF’s Southern Transcon route linking California with Chicago, the Winslow facility handles about 65 trains per day and serves as a major crew-change point.

The project includes extending an existing track by 1,100 feet, constructing a new 6,700-foot lead track, and adding 13 new turnouts, including advanced NX (Entrance/Exit) switches that can be remotely operated to improve safety and efficiency.

BNSF said the upgrades will enhance switching capabilities, increase yard fluidity and allow more trains to be processed while freeing up capacity on the mainline. Construction is currently underway, with the expansion slated for completion by the end of June.

The post Borderlands Mexico: Texas cargo theft falls, but organized crime grows appeared first on FreightWaves.