Following the assault and detention of two employees from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture while they were inspecting avocados in the state of Michoacán, APHIS has announced the suspension of mango and avocado inspections in the Mexican state.
According to information from the U.S. ambassador, Ken Salazar, the inspectors have already been released.
"Our top priority at the U.S. Embassy is to protect our personnel throughout the country. To ensure the safety of our agricultural inspection teams, APHIS has suspended the inspections of avocados and mangos in Michoacán until these security issues have been resolved," confirmed the diplomatic mission in a statement.
This pause does not affect other Mexican states where APHIS inspections continue, nor does it block all exports of avocados or mangos to the United States, or stop products currently in transit. This decision is based on "concerns for the safety of personnel in Michoacán, not phytosanitary concerns."
Ken Salazar stated that he is closely monitoring the situation and remains in direct contact with state and federal government officials in Mexico, along with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Deputy Chief of Mission Mark C. Johnson, Agriculture Department Attaché Holly Higgins, and APHIS North America Regional Director Cristóbal Zepeda.
The U.S. ambassador to Mexico will travel to Michoacán next week to meet with Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla and the Association of Producers and Export Packers of Mexico (APEAM) to address, among other important issues, security.