An outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections occurred among persons who had eaten Viva brand cantaloupe imported from Mexico; the outbreak was first discovered in California. Cantaloupes were purchased whole and pre-cut. The Salmonella Poona strain that was isolated had a rare biochemical trait, the inability to produce hydrogen sulfide. Shipley Sales, the US importer of the cantaloupes, could not provide proper Mexican documentation for inspection when requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The owners of the company were subsequently indicted for submitting false invoices and misrepresenting the facts to the federal government. After a financial settlement and a fine, the 66 counts of the indictment were dismissed. This outbreak was one of three outbreaks that had occurred between 2000 and 2002 involving imported, Mexican cantaloupes. The outbreaks ultimately led to an import alert on cantaloupes from Mexico.