Washington, D.C., August 17, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on seven produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers they purchased produce from and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Urapa Produce LLC, operating out of Pharr, Texas, for failing to pay a $528,200 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Roger Pedraza Chavez and Anthony Godinez were listed as the members/managers of the business.
- Barbosa Carrots LLC, operating out of Pharr, Texas, for failing to pay a $29,878 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Erick Velasquez was listed as the sole member/manager of the business.
- Tri Foods Distributor Inc., operating out of Sacramento, Calif., for failing to pay a $4,935 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Diem Nguyen and Kevin Tri Le were listed as the officers, directors and/or stockholders of the business.
- Alvarado & Sons Produce LLC, operating out of Raleigh, N.C., for failing to pay a $40,488 award in favor of a North Carolina seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Victoria Huerta and Martin Alvarado were listed as the members/managers of the business.
- Fresh Pikd Wholesale Market Co., operating out of Brooksville, Fla., for failing to pay a $32,204 award in favor of an Idaho seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Melissa Canals was listed as the officer, director and/or stockholder of the business.
- BF Yang Trading LLC, operating out of Shoreview, Minn., for failing to pay a $4,462 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Thai Yang, Teng Yang and Kong Yang were listed as the members/managers of the business.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.
By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.
For more information, contact Penny Robinson-Landrigan, PACA Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890 or PACAdispute@usda.gov.
###
The PACA Division, which is in the Specialty Crops Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.