KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Sunday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced the suspension of all live cattle, horse, and bison imports through U.S. southern border entries.
The suspension is due to the rapid spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico.
NWS has been detected in various remote farms with minimal cattle movement as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, approximately 700 miles away from the U.S. border.
Mexico and the United States have worked bilaterally to mitigate NWS spread.
New World Screwworm is a deadly parasitic fly that was first detected in Mexico in November 2024. When NWS fly larvae burrow in the flesh of a living animal, it can cause often deadly damage to the animal.
It can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, humans.
USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working alongside Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to restrict the importation of live animal commodities originating from Mexico.
The suspension will be on a month-to-month basis, until significant containment is reached.
“The United States has ordered the suspension of livestock imports through ports of entry along our southern border after the continued spread of the New World Screwworm in Mexico. Secretary Berdegué and I have worked closely on the NWS response; however, it is my duty to take all steps within my control to protect the livestock industry in the United States from this devastating pest,” said Secretary Rollins in a Press Release Sunday. “The protection of our animals and safety of our nation’s food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance. Once we see increased surveillance and eradication efforts, and the positive results of those actions, we remain committed to opening the border for livestock trade. This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety.”
The USDA wrote in a press release that eradication of NWS is the best goal for Mexico and the United States.
Both countries are actively running field surveillance with education and outreach to ensure prevention, treatment, and early detection, all while controlling animal movement to mitigate spread.
New World Screwworm can be spread north into the United States through natural wildlife movements.
The USDA also stated in a press release Mexico and the U.S. had successfully eradicated NWS but it cost billions and took decades.
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, beef imports from Mexico in 2010 totaled 107 million pounds, making Mexico the fifth largest exporter of beef to the United States.
