The USDA has imposed sanctions on Mestizos Group LLC, Garland, Texas, for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
These sanctions include barring the business and the principal operators of the business from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA, according to a news release.
Mestizos violated PACA when it failed to pay $399,416 to five sellers for produce that was purchased, received and accepted in interstate and foreign commerce from April 2021 to September 2021, the release said.
Mestizos cannot operate in the produce industry until June 26, 2025, and then only after it applies for and is issued a new PACA license by USDA.
The company’s principals, Gerardo Guillen and Michell Torres, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until June 26, 2024, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond, the release said.
For further information, contact Corey Elliott, chief of the Investigative Enforcement Branch, at 202-720-6873 or PACAInvestigations@usda.gov.
