Mexico deployed 1,500 troops to Michoacán state following a U.S. suspension of agricultural inspections due to security threats.
Security Suspensions Halt Inspections and Spark Military Deployment
Avocado shipments to the United States faced an abrupt halt following a decision by the United States to suspend government operations in Michoacán state. The suspension, enacted on Wednesday, halted critical on-site inspections conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to a non-specific threat to U.S. interests. Without these mandatory verifications to prevent pests from entering the country, imports stopped immediately, threatening price spikes for consumers in the United States.
Mexican authorities responded swiftly to the stoppage. On Thursday, Mexico began sending 1,500 more troops to the western state. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the deployment of additional security personnel in avocado production areas to spur the resumption of exports as quickly as possible and to prevent any serious impact on Mexico’s economy or U.S. supply.
The disruption underscores the massive economic stakes involved in the cross-border trade. The United States consumes massive quantities of the fruit from its southern neighbor, amounting to $3.7 billion in sales for Mexico in 2025. Michoacán serves as the primary producer for these exports, employing approximately 200,000 people in the state alone.
Cartel Extortion and the Daily Toll on Growers
The suspension highlights ongoing security vulnerabilities tied to powerful criminal syndicates operating within the region. Numerous cartels run drug trafficking operations and engage in widespread violence and extortion across multiple industries in Michoacán, including the lucrative avocado trade where criminal payoffs directly influence market prices.
While previous pauses stemmed from direct violence—such as a 2024 incident where two USDA employees were assaulted and temporarily held by assailants—authorities noted that the latest shutdown was preventive following recent arrests linked to extortion cases. Growers caught in the middle face severe financial demands from criminal groups.
A producer from Michoacán shared the financial reality of operating under cartel rule, stating that he pays 1 peso per kilo exported in extortion fees and exports about 90 metric tons a day, which amounts to more than $5,000 in daily payments for him. The producer spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.
Industry groups in the United States welcomed a hardline stance against criminal influence. The California Avocado Commission called for stronger monitoring of fruit headed to the U.S. after a pest was reported at a Mexico packinghouse.
“The Trump administration is right to protect American personnel and confront the cartels,” Ken Melban, the commission’s president, said in a statement, adding that “cartels cannot be allowed to exploit the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to undercut American growers and destroy domestic production.”
Ken Melban, the commission’s president, via Apnews
Pathways to Resolution and Alternative Export Routes
Historically, avocado export suspensions are resolved within a matter of days because prolonged stoppages damage the economies of both nations while simultaneously cutting off extortion revenues for criminal groups. Mexican analyst David Saucedo believes that ongoing issues with avocado exports are among the reasons the Trump administration designated four cartels operating in Michoacán as terrorist organizations.
President Sheinbaum suggested that Mexican officials could potentially conduct the inspections themselves—an option considered in past crises, though past verifications ultimately remained under USDA supervision backed by Mexican security forces. Even if security conditions normalize quickly, producers note that the underlying threat of extortion remains a constant background pressure.
Alternative supply avenues remain severely restricted. The current suspension applies exclusively to avocados grown in Michoacán, but only one other Mexican state, Jalisco, is authorized by the USDA to export avocados to the United States, and its total export volume is much smaller. As military forces move into production zones, growers and trade partners await security assessments to determine when agricultural inspections and cross-border shipments will resume.
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