Cable theft is cutting power to convenience stores, supermarkets, and commercial chains across Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas, forcing temporary closures and leaving businesses with spoiled refrigerated goods, repair bills, and lost sales.
The Alianza Metropolitana de Seguridad y Comercio, known as AMESyC, said the thefts began appearing between November and December 2025 in different parts of the metro area. The group described the cases as a shift from smaller thefts to direct attacks on store electrical systems.
Thieves are damaging electrical cabinets or meters and then removing wiring, fuses, breakers, terminals, and other copper components, according to details shared by AMESyC. Each incident is estimated to cost 5,000 to 7,000 pesos just for replacement parts, specialized labor, and restoring service.
That estimate does not include lost sales, damaged equipment, or products spoiled when refrigeration stops.
Stores lose more than the stolen cable
The damage goes beyond the missing copper. A power cut can close a store immediately, especially when refrigerated food, dairy, meat, prepared items, ice, and drinks rely on a steady power supply.
Businesses said the thefts have not followed one clear schedule. Cases have been reported in the morning, afternoon, and night, making the pattern harder to prevent with normal opening and closing routines.
AMESyC said complaints have been filed with the authorities and asked security agencies to reinforce patrols near convenience stores, supermarkets, and other commercial locations. The concern is not just the cost of parts. It is the interruption of business in neighborhoods where these stores often serve as quick stops for food, cash services, phone payments, and basic household purchases.
A wider security pressure on businesses
The cable thefts come as business groups in the Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas area are already tracking a broader increase in retail crime. In a recent business-security interview, AMESyC delegate Guadalupe Vázquez said the figures were directly hitting stores.
“The figures worry us because they represent direct harm to businesses,” Vázquez said.
The same business-security discussion cited increases in shoplifting, armed assaults, and extortion calls. AMESyC has urged stores to train employees, verify suspicious cash payments, and maintain open communication channels with authorities.
State monitoring data also show business robberies remain an active category in Jalisco. The MIDE Jalisco public indicators platform recorded 1,140 business-robbery investigation files statewide as of May 31, with the Fiscalía del Estado listed as the source.
Locally, a May review of Puerto Vallarta robbery complaints found 389 reports from January through April, including increases in business and person robberies.
Shop owners and managers can treat meter areas, electrical cabinets, and service entrances as part of their security perimeter, not just utility infrastructure. When damage occurs, the first steps are to report it, preserve camera footage, and avoid handling electrical equipment until a qualified technician has checked the site.
