Baja California Sur recorded 230 reported business robberies between January and May 2026, a nearly 30% increase over the 177 cases filed during the same period last year. Sixty of those incidents involved violence, according to preliminary data from Mexico’s Common Jurisdiction Crime Incidence Report.
The daily average has climbed from roughly one reported robbery per day in early 2025 to 1.5 per day so far this year. The figures cover all five municipalities in the state, from Los Cabos and La Paz to Comondú, Loreto, and Mulegé.
March Saw the Sharpest Spike
Monthly breakdowns show March 2026 as the worst month, with 58 business robberies reported. That single month accounted for about 25% of the total five-month count. The data are based on preliminary figures through May 31, 2026.
The trend in Baja California Sur mirrors a broader pattern across the peninsula. In neighboring Baja California, business robberies surged 65% during the first two months of 2026. Authorities there recorded 695 incidents in January and February alone, up from 419 during the same period in 2025.
A Continuing Upward Trend
The 2026 numbers build on an already rising baseline. During the first five months of 2025, La Paz and Los Cabos were identified as the primary hotspots for both home and business burglaries in Baja California Sur. Those two municipalities account for the vast majority of the state’s population and commercial activity.
The increase comes even as Baja California Sur continues to attract record foreign direct investment in tourism. The state led Mexico in tourism-related FDI during the first quarter of 2026, pulling in $191.5 million (USD), roughly 31% of the national total. Hotel occupancy across the state has averaged nearly 70%, with between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors staying each month.
What the Numbers Mean for Business Owners
The 230 reported cases represent only crimes that were formally filed with authorities. Mexico’s actual crime rate is widely understood to be higher than reported figures, due to a low rate of formal complaints known as the “cifra negra” or dark figure. The 60 cases involving violence, about 26% of the total, are particularly notable for business owners operating in the state.
The data were originally reported by BCS Noticias based on figures from Mexico’s Common Jurisdiction Crime Incidence Report.