Truckers block Mexico highway protesting crime against drivers

Truckers block Mexico highway in protest of violent crimes against drivers throughout the country. 

Truck drivers and other members of the National Transportation Association parked around 50 vehicles along two lanes of the PanAmerican Highway, also known as Federal Highway 45, on Monday, February 5th in Juarez, Mexico. 

During the demonstration, the group called for the Mexican government to stop the violence and crime against truck drivers that has claimed the lives of at least seven truckers hauling goods from manufacturers in Central Mexico to the border with the United States, reported Fox 51.

The protestors say the violent crimes are worst in Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Puebla and roads leading out of Mexico City. They say some of the crimes are committed by organized criminal groups. 

“So many robberies, assaults and shootings have us on the brink. We need a solution,” said Miguel Enriquez, who acted as a spokesman for the group during the protest. He says that the crime has grown so rampant, that the National Transportation Association has told its affiliated trucking companies to ban their drivers from working at night. 

The protesting truckers said a representative of theirs was meeting with officials in Mexico city as the protest was going on. 

A recent report shows that there have been at least 85,000 robberies targeting truckers since 2018, causing $400 million in losses for trucking companies.