Mexico has the opportunity to end the decade as one of the world’s most important logistics platforms , but to achieve this it must solve structural problems that currently hinder its competitiveness: insufficient infrastructure, highway insecurity, port saturation and slow customs processes.

That was one of the main conclusions of the panel ” Plan 2030: A turning point for logistics in Mexico?” , within the framework of the XVI Logistics and Transport Seminar of Leschaco Mexicana .

During the conversation, the panelists agreed that the so-called “Mexico Plan” sets ambitious goals for 2030, such as positioning the country among the most important economies in the world, increasing strategic manufacturing and strengthening national content; however, they warned that growth cannot be sustained without a comprehensive logistics vision.

Shantal Torres, procurement director of Leschaco Mexicana, explained that the goal of the plan is not only to attract companies, but to develop the ecosystem that allows them to operate efficiently: ports, highways, railways, energy, water and regulatory processes.

“Mexico cannot compete solely on proximity to the United States; it needs to become a strong production and logistics platform,” he said.

One of the projects that exemplifies this commitment is the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) , which seeks to connect the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico through railway infrastructure, ports and industrial development hubs.

Alejandra García, director of Trade Development at CIIT, highlighted that the corridor represents “the best opportunity” to position Mexico as an international logistics alternative within global supply chains.

He explained that the project is not new, but that it recently received significant investments in infrastructure and regulatory adjustments to facilitate interoceanic operations . Currently, the corridor is already handling automotive cargo crossings from Asia to the U.S. East Coast.

The official noted that the project offers advantages in terms of time and cost for companies in the south-southeast of the country that currently depend on more congested ports like Manzanillo or Veracruz. She even asserted that some routes could reduce maritime transit time by up to 20 days.

He also indicated that the corridor is focusing on three markets : domestic cargo, interoceanic crossings, and the future industrial movement derived from development hubs.

But while the country builds new projects, existing ports face increasing operational pressures.

José Antonio Contreras, CEO of Contecon Manzanillo , explained that the terminal has made significant investments to increase capacity and efficiency; however, the main bottleneck is no longer within the terminals, but in the access points and customs operations.

“The problem in Manzanillo is not the terminals, it’s the access points and the customs,” he stated.

The executive pointed out that the terminals operate 24/7, while customs maintains limited hours , causing delays in the release of goods and congestion at the country’s most important port.

He also warned about other critical challenges towards 2030, such as the lack of sufficient energy to support the electrification and modernization of port operations.

“We are being asked to move towards more sustainable operations, but we don’t have enough electricity supply,” he commented.

Contreras acknowledged that there are expansion and infrastructure projects relevant to the future of Manzanillo, but insisted that Mexico must first solve its current connectivity and cargo evacuation problems if it wants to remain competitive.

The executive emphasized that Contecon has strengthened its infrastructure in recent years and that the terminal currently has the conditions to continue growing in cargo volume. He even pointed out that the company handles large vessels thanks to the characteristics of its docks and the development of new expansion phases.

In this regard, he highlighted that Contecon Manzanillo has consolidated itself as the most important terminal in the country in terms of cargo movement, noting that this terminal alone moved more imports than the entire port of Lázaro Cárdenas.

“The Contecon terminal alone moved more imports than the entire city of Lázaro Cárdenas,” he stated.

From the perspective of the trucking industry, Noé Paredes, representative of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) , warned that the country faces a historical deficit of road infrastructure and a security crisis that directly impacts logistics costs.

He noted that 80% of trade between Mexico and the United States moves by road and that trucking moves around 60% of the national cargo.

However, he asserted that the infrastructure is insufficient and costly. While in the United States tolls represent between 1% and 2% of a carrier’s costs, in Mexico they can reach between 10% and 15%.

Added to this is the issue of insecurity. Paredes revealed that in the first quarter of 2026 there were already nearly 1,400 cargo truck robberies , so this could become the worst year for the sector since 2019.

“The infrastructure we have cannot even be used efficiently because of the insecurity,” he said.

The executive added that Mexico also faces a shortage of operators , an aging vehicle fleet, and a lack of adequate infrastructure for drivers.

Cinthia Moreno, a transport operator, also participated on this last point , sharing the vision of those who live on Mexican highways every day.

The operator acknowledged progress in female inclusion within the sector, but asserted that basic conditions for female transport workers are still lacking, such as adequate restrooms and spaces in many facilities.

Furthermore, he agreed that safety remains the main concern for those who work on the road.

“You don’t know if you’re going to make it back home when you go out,” he said.

At the close of the panel, the specialists agreed that the real challenge will be to coordinate infrastructure, regulation, security and logistics operations under a comprehensive vision that allows these advantages to be transformed into real competitiveness.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Jennifer Galindo / @GrupoT21

El cargo Plan 2030, the challenge of turning Mexico into a logistics powerhouse apareció primero en T21.

On the morning of Sunday, February 22, 2026, the National Intelligence Center and the Attorney General’s Office (FEMDO) , along with Special Forces of the Mexican Army, planned and executed an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, to arrest Ruben “N” (a) Mencho, the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) reported in its afternoon information card .

It was later revealed that the man known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, had been killed.

Following this situation, groups associated with this criminal organization carried out various acts of violence, primarily focused on the states of Jalisco, Colima, Morelia, and Nayarit. Later that evening, the National Guard (GN)  reported 252 road blockades across 20 states.

This morning, Capufe reported no incidents related to these blockades on its X account. Meanwhile, the National Guard also reported no vehicle fires , although its last report was at 7:26 pm this Sunday.

In response to this situation, yesterday, Sunday, the trucking and logistics sector began issuing information to protect the lives of its employees and prevent further damage to its infrastructure.

In the images shared by the authorities and in various media outlets, units from various transport companies were seen that were used to carry out blockades (narco-blockades) in the 20 aforementioned entities, where many of these units were set on fire.

In response, transport companies such as Autotransportes Pilot , Transportes Innovativos , Transmontes , Transportes Monroy Schiavon (TMS) , Transportes Industriales Unidos (TIUSA) , Grupo Flecha Amarilla; among others, announced through their social networks that they were pausing operations to avoid traveling on highway sections that were being taken over by members affiliated with the CJNG, thus affecting drivers and vehicles.

In her morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that there are no road blockades at the moment.

Focus on the port of Manzanillo

Due to the CJNG’s area of ​​influence, the port of Manzanillo was the most affected , and although around 2 p.m. this Sunday a message was released by Asipona Manzanillo , “requesting all terminals and users of the port to remain on alert within their facilities and reinforce all necessary measures to safeguard the integrity of their personnel.”

Later, around 3:28 p.m., Asipona Manzanillo itself issued a statement emphasizing that the port continued to operate regularly and there was no suspension of port activities or partial closures.

However, several terminals operating in this port, such as SSA Marine Mexico and Hutchison Ports TIMSA, announced that their operations would resume on Monday, February 23, at 8:00 a.m., with the goal of safeguarding their workers and facilities. As for the Contecon terminal in the same port, it reported that operations were continuing as directed by ASIPONA.

The Mexican Navy (Semar) indicated that in the case of the Manzanillo customs office – the second busiest and highest revenue-generating in the country – its closure does not imply a general closure of the port, since other areas of the customs facility were operational.

“In order to guarantee the safety of workers and facilities, all access points to the port have been reinforced, drone teams have been deployed for surveillance, and smaller vessels have been stationed in San Pedrito to control vessel traffic in the docks. Supervisory patrols are being carried out throughout the port area,” the Navy stated in a press release.

The Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) recommended that its members “stay attentive to official notices and coordinate with their teams and clients.”

Puerto Vallarta, the most affected airport

Regarding the airports in the most affected area: Jalisco and Nayarit, the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) reported this Sunday that the airports of Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Tepic were operating normally.

However, airlines reported canceling operations to and from Puerto Vallarta airport, such as Volaris , while Viva reported canceling flights between this tourist destination and Monterrey and Toluca. Air Canada also reported canceling flights to this destination.

Aeromexico, for its part, reported that it canceled all its flights scheduled for February 22 to Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Tepic, and therefore implemented its passenger protection policy.

Code red

In Skyangel ‘s Red Code Special Report , the situation is described as a pressure tactic by the CJNG towards the State, affecting mobility and generating chaos in the country.

Skyangel’s analysis identified critical areas such as the west (Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Nayarit and Guanajuato), the epicenter of the situation; and the north/northeast, which is the border risk involving the states of Tamaulipas, Sinaloa, Baja California and Nuevo León.

In the central-southern/southeastern region, the states of Guerrero, Puebla, Veracruz, and Quintana Roo were identified.
The logistics corridors most affected were those from Mexico City westward, the Pacific ports (Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta), and the northern border (Tamaulipas and Nuevo León).

Skyangel reported that the tense situation could be prolonged due to the criminal group’s reaction activities; real-time route reconfiguration is recommended, suggesting suspending sections with active reports. For this , official communications from Sedena, GN, and private sources should be monitored.

It is also suggested to reduce or postpone travel to the most affected areas: Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán and Tamaulipas.

Skyangel believes it is essential to coordinate with clients and suppliers to activate force majeure clauses when necessary, as well as to establish security protocols.

Businesses at risk

Although there are still no estimates of the economic losses caused by the road blockades in some states of the country, such as Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, Oaxaca, Baja California, Guanajuato and others, the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco-Servytur)  asked the business sector to verify the status of roads and logistics routes before making transfers.

He also recommended activating internal operational continuity protocols and preventive adjustments, as well as maintaining communication with their local chamber to channel incidents and receive verified information.

In a statement, the agency indicated that it activated coordination with federal and state security authorities, and with local chambers of commerce to protect the population and provide certainty to commerce and tourism.

In the affected areas, there are more than 80 chambers of commerce, services and tourism, which maintain active and permanent communication for the exchange of information and timely assistance to companies and family businesses.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Evangelina del Toro / @Humberto Cruz Moya / @Enrique Duarte Rionda / @Didier Ramírez Torres / @GrupoT21

El cargo Logistics as “collateral damage” in the operation against “El Mencho”; trucking as a focus for road apareció primero en T21.