politics
U.S. Halts Livestock Imports from Mexico After New World Screwworm Detected in Texas
The U.S. has closed its southern border to livestock imports following the first detection of New World screwworm in Texas in 60 years. Officials link the parasite's return to smuggling routes through Mexico and Central America.
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The United States has halted imports of live cattle from Mexico after New World screwworm was detected in Texas for the first time in 60 years.
Mexican authorities confirmed initial cases in November 2024 after the organism had spread through Central America and into southern Mexico. Cartels move an estimated 800,000 cattle per year from Central America into Mexico using falsified documents to bypass checkpoints. The trade generates roughly $320 million annually, with animals later entering legal supply channels.
As of June 3, the screwworm has caused more than 171,700 animal cases and more than 2,070 human cases across Mexico and Central America. Officials said many cases go undetected. In 2024 Mexico exported about 1.25 million head of live cattle to the United States, valued at $1.3 billion.
Exports rose 23 percent in the first four months of 2026. U.S. cattle inventories stand at a 75-year low. The country imported a record volume of beef while exporting $30.6 billion in agricultural goods to Mexico and receiving $43.9 billion in return in 2025.
