US halts avocado inspections in Michoacán amid alert

A security alert has forced the United States to suspend all government operations in Mexico's Michoacán state, halting the crucial federal inspections required for avocado exports and threatening immediate disruptions to the supply of the popular fruit. The U.S. Embassy announced the suspension on Wednesday, August 5, citing an unspecified threat to American interests.

The move directly pauses the work of U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors stationed in Michoacán, who must certify that orchards and packing facilities meet U.S. standards before avocados can be shipped north. A USDA spokesperson confirmed that any produce requiring onsite approval that has not completed the process is not eligible for importation. Mexico's avocado producers and packers association, APEAM, stated that only avocados received on Tuesday, August 4, in the presence of USDA officials could be processed for export, leaving fruit harvested on Wednesday in limbo.

Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla described the suspension as a preventative step by the United States to protect its employees. He said state officials were in contact with the U.S. Embassy and that both Mexican and U.S. security...