Mon May 12 09:10:00 UTC 2025: **USDA Halts Live Animal Imports from Mexico Due to Screwworm Threat**
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a temporary ban on the importation of live cattle, horses, and bison from Mexico, effective immediately. The action comes in response to the northward spread of the New World Screwworm (NWS), a parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into the flesh of animals, causing severe injury and often death.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins cited the potential devastation to the U.S. livestock industry, noting that a previous NWS outbreak in the U.S. took 30 years to eradicate. The first NWS case in Mexico was reported to the U.S. in November 2024, and recent detections have been reported as far as 700 miles from the U.S. border.
NCBA President and rancher Buck Wehrbein praised the strong pressure applied by the Trump administration and Secretary Rollins which he credits as a factor behind recent progress made with Mexico.
The ban, implemented by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will continue monthly until significant containment is achieved. Animals already en route will be inspected and treated.
Secretary Rollins emphasized that the suspension is a preventative measure focused on protecting the U.S. food supply and is not intended as punishment for Mexico. The U.S. and Mexico are collaborating on a three-pronged eradication strategy involving surveillance, controlled animal movement, and sterile insect dispersal. While Secretary Rollins stressed that cooperation with Mexico’s Secretary Berdegué has been strong, she highlighted the importance of safeguarding the US’s animal and food safety. The Secretary stated that once increased surveillance, eradication efforts, and positive results are seen, the border will be reopened for livestock trade.
While NWS was eradicated in the U.S. and Mexico decades ago, the previous eradication efforts cost billions and took years to complete.
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