Overview
- CBP agriculture specialists found the leafhopper during a routine inspection of radicchio at the Port of San Luis, Arizona.
- A collected specimen was analyzed by an APHIS entomologist, and the USDA National Identification Service confirmed the species and its first interception in U.S. territory.
- Following protocol, officials secured the load and returned it to Mexico, with no reports of the pest being established in the United States.
- CBP’s Tucson field leadership highlighted specialist training and close coordination with USDA to screen for invasive threats.
- The interception underscores phytosanitary risks in U.S.–Mexico produce trade, where Mexico supplies over 60% of U.S. vegetable imports, prompting reinforced border surveillance.