Inspections of Mexican chili imports intensify at New Mexico border

The article highlights the ongoing challenge at the international border between the US and Mexico due to the bustling New Mexican green chile season. This issue is largely driven by the increased activity in Mexico's chile export sector, leading to a significant surge in chile shipments from Mexico to the US. In response, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has ramped up its inspections at the port of entry in Columbus, New Mexico, to ensure these shipments do not carry any pests that could potentially harm the domestic chile production in New Mexico. As part of "Operation Hot Chile," additional agricultural inspectors have been deployed to Columbus from other locations to manage the influx, with expectations to process around 100 shipments a day during the busiest period. The Mexican chile import season remains active from September to October, with the possibility of extending until mid-December, having handled nearly 11,000 shipments of red and green peppers from Mexico last year.