“The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (APHIS-USDA) decided to pause avocado inspection activities in Michoacán until further notice,” he added.
Meanwhile, an investigation was being carried out in order to assess the threat and determine measures to guarantee the physical integrity of US officials working in the state.
The news is a setback for the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with the United States as the main consumer of Mexican avocados, buying thousands of tons each year to make guacamole, a favorite snack at the Super Bowl, which will take place on Sunday.
The announcement came hours after the US government expressed dismay at violence against journalists in Mexico, following the latest in a series of murders of reporters.
Michoacán has been frequently convulsed by territorial wars between criminal groups, in particular the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful in the country.
In the last six weeks, producers from Michoacán exported more than 135,000 tons of avocado to the United States, according to the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture.
