What is going on with Mexico and it’s avocados?
The discussion clarifies that there is no current avocado crisis in Mexico; a recent news story about US inspector suspensions was outdated. The community consensus is that periodic inspector withdrawals are security-driven responses to cartel violence in Michoacán, and inspections are quickly resumed once safety is assured. A mischaracterization blaming the Trump Administration was corrected by multiple commenters.
Summary
The original post linked to a Financial Times article about US avocado inspections being suspended due to security threats in Michoacán, Mexico's primary avocado-producing region. However, the top-voted response from u/rrsafety immediately clarified that the article was over a month old and that inspectors had already returned, meaning there was no current crisis. This framing problem set the tone for the discussion.
One commenter (u/JakeHelldiver) initially blamed the Trump Administration's incompetence for USDA inspection suspensions, but this was directly contradicted by u/rrsafety (with 51 upvotes), who emphasized that inspections were suspended for only a few days due to legitimate security concerns, and that inspectors shouldn't risk their lives for avocado availability. Another commenter (u/Thors_lil_Cuz, 33 upvotes) reinforced that inspections resumed within days. A third commenter (u/Background-Vast-8764) argued against fabricating criticisms of Trump when there are many legitimate ones.
Regarding the underlying context, u/gartstell provided a detailed explanation that avocado profitability attracted cartel interest about 10 years ago, leading to extortion of producers and civilian-focused violence. They noted that recent government operations, including the killing of Luis Enrique Barragán (a major extortion leader), had been making progress. In the replies, u/Infohiker clarified that cartels use avocados primarily as an income stream through control and taxation rather than as a drug trafficking vehicle, while acknowledging that cartels have diversified beyond drugs into legitimate industries. A lower-scored comment suggested cartels use avocados for drug trafficking, but this was corrected by subsequent responses.
About this episode
https://www.ft.com/content/f6f53b98-9661-4d50-bf25-b32738643cac?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Key Insights
- The article being discussed was over a month old, and the situation it described (inspector suspension) had already been resolved, illustrating how outdated news can create false impressions of ongoing crises.
- US inspector suspensions from avocado regions have occurred multiple times since 2022 under both Trump and Biden administrations, indicating the issue is structural and security-driven rather than politically partisan.
- Cartels shifted their interest in avocados from using them for drug trafficking to controlling production and taxing shipments as a standalone income stream, representing a broader diversification of cartel business models beyond narcotics.
- One commenter noted that cartels now own or control substantial portions of legitimate industries like avocado farming, collecting fees on production rather than relying solely on illegal drug operations.
- Recent Mexican government military operations, including the death of extortion leader Luis Enrique Barragán, have reportedly been making progress in reducing cartel control of the avocado industry.
Topics
Transcript
[Original Post] (score: 57, upvote ratio: 63%, by u/ComprehensiveEgg1196) Title: What is going on with Mexico and it’s avocados? https://www.ft.com/content/f6f53b98-9661-4d50-bf25-b32738643cac?syn-25a6b1a6=1 [Comment] (score: 127, u/rrsafety) ★ Answer: There is nothing currently "going on" with the avocados. You posted a story from over a month and a half ago. Under both Trump and BIden, the US has pulled inspectors when the cartel threats go too dangerous. Currently, the inspectors are back in. "Mexico sent more than 1,500 soldiers into its avocado heartlands on Thursday after exports of the fruit to the US were stopped because of security problems in the region. The US embassy in [Mexico](https://archive.is/o/fJzrO/https://www.ft.com/mexico) on Wednesday suspended its activities in the state of Michoacán, where most of the country’s avocados…
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