The Trump administration is temporarily banning imports of cattle, horses and bison through ports along the southern border because of the rapid northern spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the suspension in an X post on Sunday.
“Due to the threat of New World Screwworm I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately,” she wrote. “The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again.”
The USDA said in a press release the first case of NWS in Mexico was reported to the U.S. in November 2024.
The problem is when NWS fly maggots burrow into the flesh of living animals, they can cause serious and often deadly damage to the animal, the USDA said. The types of animals NWS maggots can infest include pets, livestock, wildlife, birds, and in rare cases, humans.
According to the USDA, NWS was recently detected in remote farms with minimal cattle movement as far north as about 700 miles from the U.S. border.
The U.S. and Mexico are working together to eradicate NWS before the deadly parasitic fly works its way to the southern border.
USDA THREATENS TO HALT MEXICAN BEEF IMPORTS OVER FLESH-EATING FLY CRISIS’
The screwworm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax. (Iowa State University)
Effective immediately, the USDA said, the agency’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are restricting the imports of live animal commodities originating from or transiting through Mexico.
The suspension will continue on a month-to-month basis, until “a significant window of containment is achieved,” the USDA said.
Livestock currently being held for entry into the U.S. will be processed normally, the USDA added, and will be inspected by a port veterinary medical officer and treated to ensure they are not carrying NWS.
MAINE’S FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE FROM TRUMP’S USDA REVERSED
An aerial view of cattle, detained in the pens of the Chihuahua Regional Livestock Union, at the Jeronimo-Santa Teresa border crossing in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on November 27, 2024. (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Secretary Berdegué and I have worked closely on the NWS response; however, it is my duty to take all steps…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at FOX News : Politics…