Mezcal Production in Oaxaca and the Threat of Cargo Hijackings
In the remote hills of Oaxaca, Mexico, the distinctive scent of roasted agave has become synonymous with mezcal success. By 2025, Mexico produced 7.7 million bottles of mezcal, a substantial increase from a decade ago. Visiting a distillery in Santiago Matatlan offers insight into this complex spirit’s journey, from being distilled in remote towns to making its way over 750 miles to the U.S. border. Despite this success, mezcal production faces threats from violent criminal groups.
Mexico is known for high-risk in-transit cargo truck hijacking. The routes from Oaxaca through central Mexico are particularly dangerous. In 2024, a truck with Monte Alban mezcal was hijacked on the Mexico-Tuxpan highway. In 2025, another truck carrying 9,000 bottles of premium agave spirits valued at $1.3 million was stolen in Guanajuato. July of that year saw hijackers taking 64 tons of alcohol bottles in Hidalgo. These incidents are part of a larger trend of organized crime targeting shipments of food and beverages for resale in informal markets.
Although Oaxaca is not yet a major hub for hijacking, mezcal shipments face increased risks moving through hotspots like Puebla, Mexico State, Michoacan, Jalisco, and Guanajuato. Puebla, a key crossing for U.S.-bound mezcal, is now a significant risk area. Local authorities in Puebla sometimes collaborate with criminals to conceal stolen goods. Similar collusions are present in states around Mexico City.
Data from the Mexico Cargo Truck Hijacking Data Portal by Reliance Partners shows that in the first half of 2026, over 79% of hijackings occurred in Mexico State and Puebla. Yet, mezcal trucks continue the journey, with U.S. sales booming. By early 2030s, the global mezcal market is expected to exceed $1 billion. Oaxaca accounts for about 90% of Mexico’s mezcal production. Unlike tequila, mezcal is primarily made at family-owned distilleries using traditional methods.
Oaxaca, Mexico’s third poorest state, gained only $5 million in foreign direct investment in 2025, a stark contrast to Mexico’s $41 billion total. Nearly $1 million worth of goods are lost daily to cargo theft in Mexico, with estimates of 50 hijackings each day. In June, the Mexican Association of Transport Organizations protested highway robberies. While President Claudia Sheinbaum reduced violence in her term starting late 2024, she hesitated to probe accusations against members of her Morena party colluding with criminals. Governors from Morena, like Oaxaca’s Soloman Jara Cruz, could be involved in these collusions.
The success of Mexico’s mezcal boom depends on the safe transportation of these bottles from mountain towns to the U.S. A single hijacked truckload is financially devastating for artisan producers. Ensuring each bottle reaches U.S. tables and bars is crucial. Failing to stop hijacking rings and enhance highway security could undermine Oaxaca’s mezcal industry.