US Halts Avocado Inspections in Michoacán Amid Security Alert, Threatening Supply

U.S. authorities suspended avocado export inspections in Michoacán after a security alert, halting processing of Wednesday's fruit and risking shipment delays to its largest market.

A security alert on Wednesday prompted U.S. officials to suspend avocado export inspections at authorized packinghouses in Mexico's Michoacán region, restricting USDA personnel to process only fruit received the day before. As a result, avocados arriving on Wednesday may be unloaded but cannot be processed or shipped, potentially disrupting the flow of roughly 1.2 million metric tons of avocados slated for the United States in 2026.

Michoacán provides the bulk of the U.S. market, accounting for almost 90% of Mexico's avocado exports. Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said state officials are in contact with the U.S. Embassy and both nations' security forces to resolve the issue, describing the measure as a preventative step to protect U.S. personnel. The U.S. Embassy issued a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Michoacán, citing threats to American interests. The alert arrives as the Trump administration announced new indictments against leaders of the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel and offered over $100 million in rewards for information.