Puerto Vallarta’s latest robbery figures show a split that is easy to miss: some categories fell, while the cases people are most likely to feel in daily life moved higher. Business robberies and robberies against people rose during the first four months of 2026, according to data cited by local reporting. Recent incidents in Ixtapa, Fluvial Vallarta, Emiliano Zapata, and neighborhood businesses help explain why the numbers are getting attention now. At the same time, the totals show why complaint data needs careful reading.
Robberies against people and businesses rise in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta recorded 389 reported robberies from Jan. 1 through April 30, according to public-security figures cited by Tribuna de la Bahía. The sharpest increases were in business robberies and robberies against people.
Business robbery reports rose from 55 to 66 during the same period last year. Reports of robbery against people climbed to 53 from 42. Home robberies held at 49 in both years.
Vehicle theft changed little, with 60 cases this year and 61 last year. Motorcycle theft fell to 69 cases from 95. Auto-parts theft dropped to one case from nine, while theft from inside vehicles rose to 15 from 11.
Street robberies made up most of the cases involving people. Of the 53 reports this year, 40 involved pedestrians on public streets. Another 11 involved people in public spaces, and two involved public transit.
Complaint data and recent cases
The figures reflect complaints filed with Jalisco prosecutors. They do not count every incident that may have happened. Jalisco’s MIDE system defines robbery indicators as complaints or investigation files, and notes that 2026 figures are preliminary.
Recent cases have drawn attention to the numbers. Tribuna de la Bahía cited an April 7 bank-related robbery in Fluvial Vallarta. The report also cited two April 13 cases, one at an Oxxo near City Hall and another involving a gas delivery worker in Bugambilias.
Other cases cited in the report included an April 24 attack in Emiliano Zapata and a May 5 robbery involving Abarrotes Jaramillo. The same report cited the Sunday attack on Daiana Tello, 18, during a robbery at a stationery shop in Ixtapa.
Vallarta Daily has also followed related reports, including an April warning about a store-robbery crew in Puerto Vallarta and Bahía. A separate May 2 report covered several business robberies during one night.
Perception data has also shifted. INEGI’s latest National Urban Public Security Survey found that 59.9% of adults surveyed in Puerto Vallarta considered the city unsafe in March. That was up from 32.0% in December 2025.
INEGI listed Puerto Vallarta first among the urban areas with the largest increases in perceived insecurity during that period.
The next comparable monthly figures would show whether the rise in business robberies and robberies against people continued after April.
