The land connectivity of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) faces an additional security challenge , since goods leaving the air terminal must travel along highway corridors identified as having the highest incidence of cargo theft in the State of Mexico.
The Mexico 85-D highway, the Mexico 85 road and the Mexiquense Outer Circuit concentrate a high level of risk for the transport of goods, warned Luis Villatoro, president of the National Association of Vehicle Tracking and Protection Companies (ANERPV) .
“The goods leaving the airport are routed along three of the most dangerous roads in the State of Mexico. If we measure this in terms of the level of risk they represent in the state, these are the roads where the highest number of cargo theft incidents occur. Any goods traveling along these routes, not necessarily from AIFA, present a very significant level of risk,” he emphasized.
He noted that in these areas there is a criminal group involved in the theft of valuable goods —watches, sporting goods, and pharmaceuticals—that operates during the morning hours, a time when there is greater availability of cargo since logistics companies are ceasing to operate on these roads at night.
“What’s happening is that there are more vehicles in the mornings, and that’s attractive to organized crime groups that operate where goods are transported from the AIFA (Felipe Ángeles International Airport), but they are also moving from the Jorobas area, through the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense (Mexico State Outer Loop), from the Arco Norte (Northern Arch), connecting of course with Mexico 85, with Mexico 85D; it’s a major hotspot,” he said in an interview with the media.
It is worth remembering that on August 19, Grupo HB , operator of DJI Store Mexico, reported the theft of merchandise such as cameras, accessories and drones upon leaving AIFA.
However, Villatoro stated that around the airport perimeter there is a security detail provided by the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) and the National Guard , which allows for the necessary security conditions.
Furthermore, he specified that different agencies share intelligence on the incidents that are occurring, although, he said, a comprehensive strategy is needed with state and federal authorities, so that at certain times, from 08:00 hours to 19:00 hours, the distribution of forces and coordinated operations can be established to allow the free transit of goods while guaranteeing the security of the logistics chains .
He reiterated that the AIFA is surrounded by a very high level of criminal activity related to cargo and vehicle theft , and therefore insisted that a specific strategy must be developed to combat the crimes that may be occurring in federal, state, and municipal areas.
Security measures are crucial given the increase in air cargo at the airport. During the first half of 2026, AIFA handled 202,469.4 tons, a 6.4% increase compared to the 190,232.6 tons handled during the same period in 2025.
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