US suspends avocado inspections in Mexican state of Michoacan due to threatPhoto by: Marco Ugarte / AP(AP SCRIPPS NEWS GROUP) – The United States announced Wednesday that it had suspended all government operations in the Mexican state of Michoacan because of a “threat to U.S. interests,” including a halt to the inspections of avocados required for their export. While the U.S. Embassy did not specify the nature of the threat in its security alert, Michoacan Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said on social media that the temporary halt to inspections was intended to safeguard workers following recent arrests linked to extortion. The inspections are necessary for avocados to be shipped to the United States and their suspension could disrupt exports. Mexico supplies approximately 80% of U.S. avocado imports – a product known in the region as “green gold.”