Identity thieves target customs payments in cross-border freight
Identity theft and digital fraud are becoming increasingly serious threats to cross-border freight operations, as Mexican trade officials warn that criminals are posing as legitimate companies and customs brokers to divert payments linked to international shipments.
Javier Cendejas, president of the Mexican Council for Foreign Trade’s Northeast chapter, known as COMCE Noreste, said the organization has recently encountered cases of identity theft involving importers and exporters during customs operations. He made the comments at a news conference on Sept. 28, according to El Norte.
In one case, a foreign-trade company made an electronic payment it believed was destined for a legitimate customs agency. Instead, criminals had stolen identities connected to the transaction and impersonated both the importer and the customs broker, Cendejas said.
According to Cendejas, fraudsters can create internet domains that closely resemble those of legitimate companies, impersonate executives and send messages claiming that banking information for a transaction has been changed.
Criminals may also have access to enough legitimate information about a shipment or transaction to make a fraudulent payment request appear credible.
The risk is particularly significant in cross-border freight because of the time-sensitive nature of many shipments. Importers can receive urgent demands for payment to release cargo or prevent storage charges from accumulating, putting pressure on employees to approve transfers quickly.
“This urgency can lead a treasury employee to make a transfer without verifying it through a second channel,” Cendejas said.
Advance payments made to customs brokers are particularly vulnerable, he said. Such payments can cover handling, storage, pre-validation, transportation, third-party services and other costs involved in clearing freight through customs.
The warning comes as identity-based fraud is increasingly affecting the wider freight and logistics industry.
A 2026 report from identity-verification company IDScan.net found that attempted identity fraud in U.S. cargo and logistics operations increased 213% between 2023 and 2024, climbing from 0.53% of transactions to 1.66%. The rate rose another 30% in 2025, reaching 2.15%, according to an analysis of more than 1 million identity-verification transactions.
The threat extends beyond payment fraud. FreightWaves reported in June that organized theft groups are using stolen carrier identities, spoofed emails and fraudulent driver’s licenses to arrange fictitious pickups and divert shipments.
Industry experts said criminals can monitor communications between shippers and carriers and use details from legitimate loads to make fraudulent transactions appear authentic.
Mexico has also been tightening verification requirements related to foreign trade. Customs agents are required to maintain electronic files containing identification, contact, tax and other information for customers requesting foreign-trade operations, according to a release from Mexican authorities.
For importers and exporters, Cendejas said one safeguard is relatively straightforward: any request to change banking information should be independently verified through a second communications channel before funds are transferred.
LEGO invests $400M to expand Mexico manufacturing operation
LEGO Group plans to invest $400 million to expand its manufacturing complex in Ciénega de Flores, Nuevo León, Mexico, a project expected to add more than 1,300 jobs while increasing production and warehousing capacity, according to Mexico Business News.
The investment, equivalent to approximately 8.6 billion Mexican pesos, will be deployed through 2029 at LEGO’s facility in Ciénega de Flores, north of Monterrey. Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced the project Sept. 24 during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference.
The expansion includes a new packing building and a high-capacity automated warehouse, together adding about 62,000 square meters of industrial infrastructure.
The Ciénega de Flores site is LEGO’s largest manufacturing facility worldwide and has been operating for nearly two decades. The company has expanded the complex several times in recent years as part of a strategy to position production closer to major markets, shorten supply chains and respond more quickly to shifts in regional demand.
The expansion could also bring additional freight and supplier activity to northern Mexico. More than 90% of the inputs used by LEGO’s Mexican operation are already sourced domestically, according to Nancy Sánchez, the company’s general manager and senior vice president of Americas Manufacturing.
LEGO expects the expansion to increase its Mexican supplier base by approximately 30%.
Wafra invests in Houston-area rail-served logistics park
Alternative investment firm Wafra Inc. has invested in Liberty Development Partners and two of its principal assets as the companies seek to expand rail-served industrial infrastructure in the Houston region.
New York-based Wafra announced Wednesday that funds it advises had invested in Liberty, Gulf Inland Logistics Park and CMC Railroad, according to a news release. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Gulf Inland is a roughly 3,900-acre industrial development in Dayton, Texas, northeast of Houston. The park connects with Union Pacific and BNSF Railway through CMC Railroad, which provides switching services and storage capacity for more than 1,000 railcars.
The development also has access to U.S. Highway 90 and State Highway 99.
The investment will provide capital to accelerate development at Gulf Inland while supporting Liberty’s efforts to pursue additional rail-served infrastructure and industrial projects.
Liberty’s existing management team will remain responsible for operating and developing Gulf Inland and CMC Railroad following the Wafra investment.
Why it matters
The cases illustrate how identity-based freight fraud is moving beyond fictitious cargo pickups and into the financial transactions that are essential to keeping cross-border shipments moving. At the same time, major manufacturing and infrastructure investments in Mexico and the U.S. Gulf Coast continue to reshape freight flows and supply-chain capacity.
