Two employees of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture were recently attacked and detained while carrying out their work in the state of Michoacán inspecting avocados. They are no longer in captivity, reported the United States Embassy in Mexico.
Additionally, the North American embassy announced that APHIS has suspended inspections of avocados and mangoes in Michoacán until these safety issues have been resolved.
This pause does not affect other Mexican states, where APHIS inspections continue, much less does this action block exports of avocados or mangoes to the United States, nor does it stop products currently in transit.
This determination is based on existing concerns for the safety of agricultural inspection personnel in Michoacán, not phytosanitary concerns. Ambassador Ken Salazar has been closely monitoring the situation and remains in direct contact with Mexican state and federal government officials along with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Deputy Chief of Mission Mark C. Johnson, Department of Agriculture Attaché Holly Higgins and APHIS Regional Director for North America, Cristóbal Zepeda.
Ambassador Salazar announced a trip to Michoacán next week to meet with Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla and the Association of Producers and Packers Exporters of Mexico (APEAN) to address, among other important issues, security.
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