Mexico Highway Blockades November 24 Hit Road Trips

Published on Nov 25, 2025, 2:08 pm CST

9 min read

Key points

Truckers and farmers blocked highways in more than 20 Mexican states on November 24 2025, stopping traffic on routes such as Mexico City to Toluca, Puebla, and Queretaro
Organizers behind the megabloqueo say highway blockades could continue or be repeated if talks with the Interior Ministry fail, raising ongoing risk for winter road trips and long distance buses
Government travel advisories for Mexico already warn about cartel related violence, illegal roadblocks, and carjackings on highways, especially in some northern and Pacific states
Snowbird travelers driving RVs or cars from the US and Canada should check updated advisories, favor toll roads in daylight, and carry extra water and fuel in case of long waits
Visitors uncomfortable with the security environment should consider flying between regions inside Mexico or using major bus companies from large terminals instead of self driving long rural routes

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Expect the most severe effects on corridors feeding Mexico City, such as Mexico City to Toluca, Puebla, Queretaro, and Arco Norte, plus approaches to some northern border crossings
Best Times To Travel: Plan long highway stretches for mid morning to mid afternoon on non protest days, and avoid night driving when crime risks and illegal roadblocks increase
Onward Travel And Changes: If you have time sensitive flights, cruises, or tour starts, move arrivals into gateway cities at least one day early or reroute through airports that reduce long highway transfers
Checkpoint And Security Risks: Assume you may encounter both official and illegal checkpoints, slow well in advance, keep doors locked, comply with instructions without arguing, and never try to run a roadblock
What Travelers Should Do Now: Review US, Canadian, and UK advisories for your route, map out toll road alternatives, register with your embassy, and be ready to pause or cancel a road trip if security worsens

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Truckers and farmers across Mexico have turned major highways into long parking lots, after nationwide Mexico highway blockades November 24 2025 brought traffic to a crawl on roads serving Mexico City, resort corridors, and several border crossings. The closures hit long distance bus routes, RV caravans, and self drive road trips that many winter snowbird travelers use to move between the United States, central Mexico, and coastal destinations. Anyone planning to drive or ride long haul buses over the coming days should expect detours, build in generous buffers, and have a backup plan that does not depend on a single highway.

In practical terms, the Mexico highway blockades on November 24 exposed how fragile long distance road travel can be when coordinated protests, existing crime risks, and official security checks all converge on the same corridors.

Where The Blockades Hit And Who Is Behind Them

Mexican and international reporting confirms that truckers and farmers blocked or partially blocked highways in more than 20 of Mexico's 32 states on Monday November 24, including the Mexico City to Toluca, Mexico City to Puebla, and Mexico City to Queretaro routes, along with other federal corridors in northern, central, and southern regions. Organizers advertised the campaign as a megabloqueo, a mega blockade meant to shut down much of the federal road network for the day.

The main groups involved include the ANTAC truckers association, the National Front for the Rescue of the Countryside, and the Movimiento Agricola Campesino, which together represent freight carriers and farmers from across the country. Their demands focus on rampant highway robberies, allegations of extortion by police and National Guard officers at checkpoints, faster paperwork for plates and licenses, and higher guaranteed prices and financing for basic crops such as corn and beans.

By mid morning on November 24, lines of trucks, buses, and passenger cars stretched for kilometers at multiple choke points, particularly on toll roads that feed the capital and industrial hubs. For travelers, that meant not just slower drives but in many cases total standstills with limited access to services, fuel, or safe places to turn around.

Risk Of Renewed Megablockades

Although the November 24 action was announced as a single day protest, farmer and trucker leaders have publicly warned that blockades will continue or repeat if talks with the federal Interior Ministry do not lead to concrete changes on highway security, extortion, and crop prices. Some spokespeople have talked about extending pressure to customs posts, industrial zones, and future dates on the calendar if they feel ignored.

That matters for winter road trippers because Mexico's protest calendar has become more crowded. SafeAbroad risk outlooks flagged the November 24 megabloqueo a week in advance as a nationwide protest likely to block highways and cause major travel disruptions, with similar notices bundled into weekly summaries of global unrest. Even if the current round of talks lowers tensions, the tactic of closing highways has clearly been normalized for multiple groups, which increases the odds of more blockades during the peak snowbird and holiday season.

How This Overlaps With Existing Highway Security Risks

The megabloqueo does not occur in a vacuum. Official travel advisories for Mexico have long warned about crime and road safety issues on federal highways. The United States State Department currently rates Mexico overall at Level 2, exercise increased caution, while assigning stricter levels and restrictions to specific states and routes, and explicitly notes that fleeing a checkpoint or ignoring instructions can result in travelers being hurt or killed.

Canada's advisory stresses that crime is common on highways, that toll highways are generally safer than secondary roads, and that illegal roadblocks are common, with heavily armed gangs sometimes attacking travelers who refuse to stop or pay a so called toll. The same guidance strongly recommends avoiding night driving, using toll roads where possible, keeping doors locked, and using only frequented rest areas and fuel stops.

The United Kingdom's Foreign Office similarly highlights the risk of illegal roadblocks and checkpoints on particular corridors, notably in states like Chiapas where Federal Highway 199 between San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque has seen frequent protest blockades and kidnapping risk. Taken together, these advisories paint a picture in which protests, criminal roadblocks, and official checkpoints already coexist on many routes, even before a coordinated megabloqueo is layered on top.

Canada has also recently reaffirmed a higher risk profile for a set of Mexican states linked to organized crime and violence, advising Canadians to avoid non essential travel to some regions and exercise a high degree of caution elsewhere. For snowbird drivers planning long overland routes through northern border states or Pacific corridors, that combination of crime warnings and protest activity should act as a strong prompt to slow down and reconsider routing.

Practical Strategies For Road Trips And Bus Travel

If you are planning a cross country drive in Mexico over the next few weeks, the first step is to accept that highway conditions can change quickly, especially around major cities, industrial zones, and border crossings. Before committing to a route, check current news and traffic for your corridor, along with state by state sections of the US, Canadian, and UK advisories, paying attention to both overall state ratings and specific road warnings.

On the road, favor toll highways, known locally as cuota roads, whenever you have a choice, since they tend to be better maintained and are the routes that emergency services and authorities prioritize. Plan to drive only in daylight, and treat overnight runs or predawn departures on rural stretches as a last resort. Fill your tank before long segments, carry extra water and snacks, and identify several potential fuel and rest stops rather than relying on a single station.

For many travelers, a safer approach will be to combine flying with shorter regional drives instead of attempting a full border to beach road trip. For example, rather than driving all the way from Texas to the Riviera Nayarit, it may be wiser to fly into a coastal gateway such as Puerto Vallarta, then take a relatively short and well traveled transfer to your final destination. Where feasible, you can also use domestic flights to hop between regions instead of connecting them by road.

If you rely on long distance buses, stick with major companies and larger terminals, monitor company announcements and social media for cancellation notices, and have a plan for what you will do if a bus terminates early or cannot reach your destination. During protest periods, it is smart to carry more medications, water, and warm clothing on board than you normally would, in case a journey stalls on an exposed stretch of highway.

How To Handle Checkpoints Without Escalating Risk

Security checkpoints are a normal feature of long drives in Mexico. These may be staffed by the military, National Guard, state police, or local police, and in some areas there are also criminal or community checkpoints that are not sanctioned by the state.

The safest general approach is to slow well in advance, keep doors locked and windows mostly up, and follow instructions without argument. At official checkpoints, you may be asked where you are coming from and going, and in some cases vehicles are inspected for weapons or drugs. Having passports and vehicle documents easy to access but not on display reduces fumbling at the window.

If you suspect a checkpoint is criminal or unsanctioned, the core advice from both US and Canadian authorities is not to resist if threatened. In practice, that means staying calm, handing over valuables if demanded, and focusing on getting out of the situation without provoking a violent response. Trying to run a roadblock, reversing suddenly, or filming armed individuals without their consent can all sharply increase danger.

For snowbird caravans and RV groups, there is safety in numbers, but only to a point. Large convoys can be slower to maneuver around blockages or turn back, and may draw attention. It is usually better to keep group sizes modest, travel during daylight, and agree on basic checkpoint protocols in advance.

When You Should Pause Or Reroute The Trip

There are scenarios where the safest choice is not to drive. If your planned route runs through states that the US rates as do not travel or that Canada and the UK flag for high levels of cartel violence and kidnapping, consider rerouting through safer states, replacing a segment with a flight, or redesigning the trip altogether.

Similarly, if new megabloqueo dates are announced that fall on your target travel days, treat that as a serious signal to adjust the schedule rather than hoping to slip through. In many cases you can shift hotel bookings by a night or two with limited penalty, whereas getting stuck for hours at a rural blockade exposes you to both security and comfort risks.

Finally, be realistic about your own risk tolerance. Some travelers are comfortable navigating a complex security environment with high quality local information and Spanish fluency. Others will feel better limiting self drive segments to shorter hops between airports, rail stations, and well known resort corridors, or even skipping road trips entirely in favor of flying and guided transfers. There is no single correct answer, but the November 24 blockades are a reminder that in Mexico, trip design and risk management start on the road map, not at the airport check in counter.

Related Adept Traveler coverage includes our earlier airport focused piece, Mexico Highway Megablockade November 24 Hits Airports, and broader guidance on protest driven disruption in Belgium November 24 26 Strikes Slam Flights And Trains. For a deeper structural look at road risk, watch for our upcoming evergreen guide on Mexico highway safety and checkpoint etiquette, which will anchor this topic in the Guides section.