The United States has suspended all government operations in the Mexican state of Michoacan due to a security threat, halting the essential inspections required for avocados to be exported to the U.S. The U.S. Embassy did not specify the nature of the threat, but Michoacan Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla stated the suspension was to protect workers following arrests linked to extortion.
Michoacan, a leading avocado exporter to the U.S., faces significant organized crime activity, with cartels operating in the region and engaging in extortion, including against the avocado industry. The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward for the recent arrest of Alfonso Fernández Magallón, alias “El Poncho,” identified as a local cartel leader in the avocado-growing area around Los Reyes.
While the Michoacan State Security Secretary noted no direct incidents involving avocado inspectors were known, 300 security personnel were deployed to the Los Reyes area as a precaution. The governor emphasized the priority is to ensure the necessary security conditions for operations to resume.
Mexico supplies approximately 80% of the U.S. avocado imports, a product referred to locally as “green gold.” Avocado cultivation in Michoacan alone generates around 200,000 jobs. In 2025, Mexico exported $3.65 billion worth of avocados to the United States, with a 35% increase in exports during the first four months of the current year compared to the same period in the previous year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts inspections in Mexico to ensure exported produce is free from pests. Historically, threats and violence against these inspectors have led to past suspensions of operations in the region.