By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-08-07 03:51:56 | Updated at 2026-08-07 05:02:18
1 hour ago
Employees pack avocados at a plant in the town of Ario de Rosales, Michoacán state, Mexico, on Feb. 21, 2022. Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images
The United States has ceased all government operations in the Mexican state of Michoacán, including the inspections required for avocados from the region to be exported north, citing an ongoing threat in the region to U.S. interests.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico announced the suspension, which went into effect Aug. 5. The move stops U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors who verify that fruit from orchards and packing plants contains no pests before it can make its way to American markets.
Michoacán is the primary source of avocados en route to the United States. Mexico supplies approximately 80 percent of the avocados imported by the United States, and the crop provides about 200,000 jobs in that state alone. In 2025, Mexico sold $3.65 billion worth of avocados to the United States, according to Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development. Shipments through the first four months of this year were up 35 percent from the same period a year prior.
Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla described the action as a preventive step following recent arrests linked to an extortion investigation.
State Security Secretary Antonio Cruz told The Associated Press that one of those arrested was Alfonso Fernández Magallón, known as “El Poncho,” a local cartel leader who was active in the region. Cruz said his department was not aware of any incidents involving avocado inspectors.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson celebrated the arrest. The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward for Fernández Magallón’s capture.
At least four cartels designated as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration are based in Michoacán. The criminal groups not only traffic drugs, but also extract money through extortion that affects growers, packers, and transporters of avocados. Previous pauses in inspections happened after threats or violence against U.S. personnel, including a
2022 phone threatand a 2024 incident in which two USDA employees were assaulted and temporarily held captive.
Mexico has sent additional forces to the region, with President Claudia Sheinbaum saying the government is bolstering security in production and packing areas in order to restore normal operations and avoid any further harm to the Mexican economy or U.S. supply. Officials added that only Michoacán and Jalisco are authorized to export avocados to the United States, though Jalisco exports avocados at a much smaller volume.
The temporary stoppage highlights the longstanding connections between organized crime and one of Mexico’s main legal agricultural exports. Criminal organizations collect fees at multiple points along the supply chain. Without inspections, the fruit cannot be exported to the United States, cutting off a key revenue stream.
