The U.S. Department of Agriculture reportedly suspended avocado and mango inspections “until further notice,” due to “security concerns.”
While the USDA has not officially named the concern, a Mexican news outlet said two inspectors were illegally detained at a local checkpoint at a community protest.
The New York Times reported that the inspectors were released and that the detention was unrelated to the avocado industry.
This is not the first time that the USDA has taken action in Mexico due to security concerns.
In 2022, the USDA halted inspections in Michoacan and suspended imports when an inspector reportedly received a threatening call to his official mobile phone. In this case, the stoppage lasted about a week.
The USDA says it is investigating the situation before resuming inspections.
“The programs will remain paused until the security situation is reviewed and protocols and safeguards are in place,” according to a USDA statement reported by Reuters.
Fruit that has already been inspected and is in transit remains unaffected, according to reports.
