U.S. Avocado Imports Raise Security Concerns Over Mexican Cartel Influence

A California resident argues that the rapid growth of Mexican avocado imports—670,026 metric tons in early 2026, a 34% increase—creates risks beyond culinary preference. The primary Mexican region, Michoacán, remains under a Level 4 travel warning due to cartel activity, leading to the deployment of more than 1,500 soldiers and National Guard members to protect orchards and supply routes. Cartels are said to extort growers, charging fees that can top $5,000 per day, meaning U.S. purchases may indirectly fund criminal groups.

Late-2024 changes by the Biden administration to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service inspection program reduced direct U.S. oversight, coinciding with over 150 pest interceptions at Mexican packing facilities. California’s nearly 3,000 avocado growers, contributing roughly $1.5 billion annually, fear competition from these imports and call for stricter standards and traceability. The author frames the issue as one of food security, national security, and the need to support American farmers over foreign producers linked to organized crime.