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Ecatepec Opens Secure Vehicle-Purchase Center and Reports Sharp Drop in Car Thefts

The municipal center uses document and VIN checks with police accompaniment to try to curb fraud in private car sales.

Overview

  • The mayor announced the Centro de Compra Vehicular Segura on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, and the facility is operational and taking appointments through comprasegura.ecatepec.gob.mx.
  • The center follows a seven-step, appointment-based process that requires uploading original documents and includes VIN (17-character) verification and a physical pericial inspection of the vehicle.
  • Officials say police will accompany buyers to banks to complete payments and that vehicles can be held in municipal custody over weekends until transactions are finalized.
  • Municipal sources report the center has processed 22 buy-sell cases so far and attribute a 64 percent fall in reported vehicle thefts from 3,830 in 2024 to 878 to date in 2026 to a package of security measures that includes the center.
  • Local leaders plan a permanent outreach campaign to push use of the service and to encourage reporting of thefts, falsified documents and corruption so families avoid losing savings or the vehicle itself.