CBS News
U.S. halts avocado and mango inspections in a Mexican state after 2 USDA employees attacked, detained
The United States has halted inspections of avocados and mangoes in Mexico‘s Michoacán state following the attack and detainment of two U.S. Department of Agriculture employees, according to U.S. officials.
The workers with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were recently attacked while carrying out their work inspecting avocados, and have since been released, U.S. ambassador Ken Salazar said in a statement Tuesday.
His statement gave no further details on the incident. He said the inspections will be suspended until the safety issues have been resolved.
Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla told reporters on Monday that Mexican authorities were in contact with U.S. officials and were working to resolve the situation, according to The Associated Press. In the meantime, Mexican exports were not completely blocked and the pause would not affect avocados and mangoes already in transit, according to Salazar.
Brian Overcast/picture alliance via Getty Images
The suspension follows a violent streak in Michoacán, which is one of Mexico’s main avocado exporters and accounts for the majority of Mexico’s avocado production. The state is plagued by cartel violence as fighting ensues between the Jalisco New Generation cartel and Michoacan-based gang, the Viagras.
The State Department issued a Level 4 travel advisory for Michoacán last week, advising Americans not to travel to the state due to concerns of crime and kidnapping.
Salazar will travel to Mexico next week to meet with Bedolla to address security concerns, among other issues.
“I have been closely monitoring the situation and remain in direct contact with Mexican state and federal government officials,” Salazar said.
In May, 18 bodies were found in Michoacán, with nine of them containing messages addressed to a criminal group. In March, a police officer was reportedly beheaded and two of her bodyguards were killed in an attack on a highway.
Two years ago, the U.S. briefly banned avocado imports from Mexico following threats to a USDA inspector.
A Frontier flight appeared to catch fire as the plane was landing Saturday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cell phone video showed flames and billows of smoke on the plane’s undercarriage as it touched down on the runway. Fire trucks and other emergency service vehicles rushed onto the runway, as smoke continued to surround the plane.
“Frontier flight 1326 experienced a hard landing,” a spokesperson for the airport confirmed to CBS News. “The Clark County Fire Department responded immediately and all passengers and crew have been safely transported to the gated area. No injuries were reported.”
Frontier flight 1326 from KSAN-KLAS just caught fire on landing at KLAS.
I caught it on video as it landed pic.twitter.com/KGt1Asx3rv
— Tyler (@TylerHerrick) October 5, 2024
Frontier Flight 1326 left San Diego at 1:51 p.m. Pacific Time and landed at Las Vegas at 3:37 p.m., according to Flight Aware.
“The pilots detected smoke and declared an emergency,” a spokesperson for Frontier Airlines confirmed to CBS News. “The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew were evacuated via airstairs. No injuries were reported, and passengers have been bussed to the terminal. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.”
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CBS News
$100 million in federal funds released for North Carolina to rebuild roads, bridges damaged by Helene
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation released $100 million in emergency funds on Saturday for North Carolina to rebuild its roads and bridges damaged by Helene.
“We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration will be with North Carolina every step of the way, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources.”
The storm caused rampant flooding that has devastated several towns and killed more than 225 people – with CBS News confirming at least 114 people killed in North Carolina. There was more than 8 inches of rain across the western North Carolina mountains, with some areas seeing more than a foot.
Hundreds of roads across Western North Carolina remain closed, leading to an increase in air traffic as teams scour the region for survivors by air. Air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared, the Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Mudslides blocked Interstate 40 and other highways in North Carolina and about 400 roads were closed due to damage from Helene. Interstate 40 was damaged at several locations, the Department of Transportation said.
President Biden visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying the flood damage by air from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Biden announced the federal government would cover “100%” of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months.
The Department of Transportation said these relief funds will allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to their damaged facilities.
Li Cohen and
contributed to this report.
