Borderlands Mexico: Identity thieves target customs payments in cross-border freight

In one case, a foreign trade company made an electronic payment that it believed was going to a legitimate customs agency. Instead, a third party had stolen identities connected to the transaction and impersonated both the importer and customs broker, Cendejas said.

Fraudsters can create internet domains resembling those of legitimate companies, impersonate executives and send messages claiming that banking information for a transaction has changed, according to Candejas.

Criminals may also possess enough information about an actual shipment or transaction to make the fraudulent request appear legitimate. 

The risk is amplified by the time-sensitive nature of cross-border freight. Importers may receive urgent requests for money to release cargo or avoid storage charges, creating pressure on employees to authorize transfers quickly.

“This urgency can lead a treasury employee to make a transfer without verifying it through a second channel,” Cendejas said.

Advance payments to customs brokers represent a particular vulnerability, he said. Those payments can cover handling, storage, pre-validation, transportation, third-party services and other expenses associated with clearing freight through customs.

The warning comes as identity-based fraud increasingly affects the broader freight industry.

A 2026 report from identity-verification company IDScan.net found attempted identity fraud in U.S. cargo and logistics operations increased 213% from 2023 to 2024, rising from 0.53% of transactions to 1.66%. The rate increased another 30% in 2025 to 2.15%, according to an analysis of more than 1 million identity-verification transactions.

The methods extend 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 information about legitimate loads to make fraudulent transactions appear authentic. 

Mexico has also been tightening verification requirements surrounding 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 simple: requests to change banking information should be independently verified through a second communications channel before money is 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, adding more than 1,300 jobs and new production and warehousing capacity, according to Mexico Business News.

The investment, equivalent to about 8.6 billion Mexican pesos, will be deployed through 2029 at LEGO’s complex 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 project calls for a new packing building and high-capacity automated warehouse totaling about 62,000 square meters of additional industrial infrastructure.

The Ciénega de Flores operation is LEGO’s largest manufacturing facility worldwide and has operated for nearly two decades. LEGO has expanded the site several times in recent years as part of a strategy of locating production closer to major markets, shortening supply chains and responding more quickly to changes in regional demand.

The expansion could also generate additional freight and supplier activity in 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 to increase its Mexican supplier base by about 30% as a result of the expansion. 

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 look to expand rail-served industrial infrastructure in the Houston region.

New York-based Wafra announced Wednesday that funds it advises 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 helping Liberty pursue additional rail-served infrastructure and industrial projects.

Liberty’s existing management team will continue operating and developing Gulf Inland and CMC Railroad following the Wafra investment.

Why it matters: The cases show how identity-based freight fraud is expanding beyond fictitious cargo pickups into the financial transactions required to keep cross-border shipments moving.