Overview
- CBP agriculture specialists at the Port of San Luis found the insect during a routine inspection of radicchio arriving from Mexico.
- The consignment was secured at the port and returned to Mexico in accordance with biosecurity protocol.
- A specimen was forwarded to USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine for expert identification and analysis.
- USDA’s National Identification Service confirmed the interception as the first reported occurrence in the United States.
- CBP warned that some leafhoppers can transmit plant pathogens that threaten agriculture, and Tucson’s field office highlighted ongoing coordination with USDA.