A Border Patrol Tactical Unit agent patrols an area where migrants and asylum seekers wait to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville on Dec. 4, 2023. The Lukeville Port of Entry was closed by officials Dec. 4 and reopened in January 2024.
Washington D.C. – In an urgent move to protect U.S. livestock and national food security, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the immediate suspension of live cattle, horse, and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border. The decision comes in response to the rapid northward spread of Mexico’s New World Screwworm (NWS).
Despite joint eradication efforts between the United States and Mexico, NWS has now been detected in remote areas as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz—just 700 miles from the U.S. border. In coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will restrict importation of live animal commodities originating from or transiting through Mexico.
“This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico,” said Secretary Rollins. “This is about food and animal safety. Protecting our livestock and ensuring the safety of our food supply is a matter of national security.”
Rollins emphasized that authorities will review the suspension monthly, which may be lifted once containment and eradication efforts yield measurable progress. The USDA will also reassess the sufficiency of current mitigation protocols and continue close collaboration with Mexican authorities.
Any livestock holding for U.S. entry is set for processing as usual, including veterinary inspection and treatment to rule out NWS presence.
NWS larvae burrow into the flesh of living animals and can cause severe injury or death. The pest affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans. The U.S. had previously succeeded in eradicating NWS, a decades-long effort that cost billions of dollars.
A resurgence of NWS was first detected in southern Mexico in November 2024, prompting an earlier import shutdown. After Mexico and APHIS agreed to enhanced screening and treatment protocols, imports resumed in February 2025. However, the pest has since spread rapidly throughout Central America and into Mexico, triggering renewed concerns.
Rollins called for a robust, three-pronged approach to eradication: active field surveillance and outreach, controlled animal movement, and continued sterile fly dispersal. USDA’s “Tick Riders” are also monitoring border livestock and wildlife outside official ports to detect and respond to any signs of NWS spread.
Visit the USDA APHIS Animal Health Status of Regions website for more information and updates on affected regions and trade restrictions.
