In a recent development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has temporarily halted the importation of avocados and mangoes from Mexico after two of its workers were abducted in a state known for cartel violence. Earlier this week, the USDA confirmed information published by Mexican news outlets about the temporary halting of produce inspections until further notice. Although the USDA has not publicly revealed the reason behind their decision, multiple national news outlets in Mexico reported that two USDA inspectors had been abducted in the state of Michoacan.
According to El Sol De Mexico, the incident occurred last Friday when a group of gunmen claiming to be a community police force in the town of Paracho, Michoacan, stopped the inspectors, took their vehicle, phones, and computers, and detained them for a day. Despite efforts by Mexican officials to downplay the issue, community police forces in Michoacan have a history of being a front for various drug cartels that operate with almost complete impunity in the state.
Breitbart Texas reported that community police forces such as the ones run by the accused drug boss Juan Jose “El Abuelo” Farias have been a front for Cartel Jalisco New Generation, or for their rivals, the Familia Michoacan, or Los Viagras. The Mexican Agriculture Secretary Cuauthemoc Ramirez Romero stated that Mexico’s government has spoken with U.S. officials and resolved the issue, suggesting that importations could likely resume in the coming days.
This is not the first time such a suspension has occurred. In 2022, the USDA issued a similar suspension after one of their inspectors began receiving death threats. The importation halt came right before the Superbowl, a time when avocado farmers in Mexico typically see an increase in demand.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].