United States agricultural authorities have reopened an international commercial port of entry in New Mexico to Mexican cattle shipments, implementing stringent new biosecurity protocols designed to halt the spread of the New World screwworm. The crossing was temporarily closed after veterinary officials identified more than sixty confirmed cases of the flesh-eating parasitic larva in livestock across southern Texas and New Mexico, sparking widespread concern throughout the domestic cattle industry.
Under the revised directives established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, imported livestock must undergo rigorous individual clinical evaluations and mandatory chemical insecticide dipping treatments prior to crossing the border. State agricultural commissions and livestock associations have coordinated closely with federal regulators to establish sterile fly release zones and monitor border stockyards. Ranchers and trade groups expressed relief at the port’s reopening, noting that the resumption of cross-border shipments stabilizes regional beef supply chains while upholding critical biosecurity defenses against invasive livestock parasites.
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Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-10-27/with-tighter-checks-for-flesh-eating-screwworm-border-crossing-reopens