The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is set to begin a phased reopening of cattle imports from Mexico as the fight against the New World Screwworm rages on. Beginning August 24, 2026, the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry will open for cattle trade, ushering in subsequent openings at New Mexico ports of entry.
According to the USDA, the opening is contingent on Mexico’s adherence to the previously agreed-upon Joint Action Plan. Every animal imported at the Southwest border will undergo a full USDA inspection to eliminate the risk of New World screwworm infestation.
The Santa Teresa and Columbus ports of entry in New Mexico are the next expected locations where the USDA anticipates cattle importation to resume as the battle against the New World screwworm continues.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins commented on the future resumption of cattle imports, saying, “Protecting the United States from NWS and pushing this pest out of Mexico and back to the Darien Gap is a top priority at USDA and has the full attention of the Trump Administration. The closure of the Southern ports of entry for the last year has been a tough but necessary action to control the spread of NWS in Mexico and protect the American livestock industry.”
Rollins expressed her gratitude in a public announcement on the opening of the port in Arizona to cattle trade, adding, “Thanks to the work across the federal government as well as state, local, and industry partners, it is now safe to reopen the Douglas, Arizona, port in 30 days to resume the hundreds-of-years-old movement of cattle.”
Thus far, a total of 44 cases of New World screwworm detections have been recorded since June 3, 2026, according to the USDA New World screwworm dashboard. The pest was declared eradicated from the United States in 1966; however, several short-lived sporadic outbreaks have occurred since.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, the latest incursion of the New World screwworm began when larvae were discovered in a calf less than 50 miles inland from the Texas-Mexico border. The flesh-eating screwworm maggots were found in the umbilical area of a 3-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas.
Since that discovery, the USDA has ramped up efforts to combat the spread of the New World screwworm by introducing sterile male flies, a tried-and-true method used during earlier outbreaks that led to the pest’s eradication in 1966. Currently, there are only seven active New World screwworm cases in the United States, according to the USDA.
While the detection of active cases increased after the June 3 infestation, USDA’s aggressive mitigation efforts have slowed the spread of the latest incursion of the pest, and there have not been any dramatic spikes in detections since.
According to the USDA, the effort to combat the New World screwworm fly involves more than 160 federal and state responders in Texas and New Mexico. The huge effort to eradicate the pest involves thousands of people across government, academia, and the agricultural industry.
The USDA strategy to combat the New World screwworm has thus far involved the creation of sterile fly dispersal facilities in Texas and New Mexico. The agency has recently committed $25 million to build an additional facility in Arizona to enhance that endeavor. The USDA has also strategically placed thousands of traps along the southwest border to monitor the progress of the current fight against the screwworm.
To date, there have been no locally acquired human cases of New World screwworm in the United States during the latest outbreak.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
Read the full article here