Mexico Deploys 1,500+ Troops After U.S. Suspends Avocado Inspections
Mexico has deployed more than 1,500 troops to Michoacán, the country’s main avocado-producing state, after the United States temporarily suspended export inspections over security concerns involving U.S. agricultural officials.
The suspension has effectively frozen avocado shipments to the United States, Mexico’s largest export market, raising concerns over thousands of jobs and a multibillion-dollar agricultural industry.
The U.S. decision followed security threats in the region amid ongoing concerns over criminal groups and cartel activity surrounding Mexico’s avocado industry.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered 1,557 military and National Guard personnel into the area to protect packing facilities, transportation routes and inspection points, with the aim of improving security and allowing U.S. inspections to resume.
Michoacán is central to Mexico’s avocado industry, with the United States accounting for the vast majority of its exports. A prolonged suspension could put significant pressure on producers, workers and supply chains on both sides of the border.