33 Tons Of Gold, Silver Concentrate Hijacked In Mexico

Armed thieves in Mexico hijacked a truck transporting 33 tons of gold and silver concentrate belonging to the Mexican mining firm Grupo Minero Bacis, local media reported. The precious metals heist underscores a surge in highway robberies across the third-world cartel-plagued country—just south of the U.S. southern border—amid rising gold and silver prices driven by global macroeconomic uncertainty.

El Universal said the assailants blocked the tractor-trailer on a stretch of highway near Guadalajara and assaulted the driver and security, and held them hostage for nearly 1.5 hours.

„A group of organized criminals aboard two vehicles robbed a truck belonging to Fletes Durango SA de CV, which was loaded with at least 33 tons of gold and silver concentrate belonging to Grupo Minero Bacis SA de CV, bound for the port of Manzanillo,” Grupo Minero wrote in a report.

Grupo Minero Bacis is owned by José Jaime Gutiérrez Núñez, former president of the Mexican Mining Chamber. The miner operates the El Herrero gold and silver project—an advanced exploration and semi-processing operation that produces precious metal concentrate for both domestic use and international export.

While the truck was later recovered, the trailer with tons of gold and silver concentrate was never found. Local media identified the assailants as „organized criminals”—a term often synonymous with drug cartel gangsters.

The incident highlights the surge in highway robberies across the third world country, which now occur every 50 minutes, with cargo thefts rising over 30% in early 2025 compared to the previous year.