US pauses government operations in cartel-ridden Mexican state

The U.S. State Department said a "threat against American interests" forced the United States to suspend all of its government activities in a Mexican state where visitors face a risk of violence "from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations." The warning from the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico about the state of Michoacan, which is located west of Mexico City, includes a halt to the inspections of avocados required for their export, according to The Associated Press