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USDA Reopens New Mexico Livestock Port After Screwworm Quarantine

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 2:58 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

USDA Reopens NM Port

USDA announced Santa Teresa, New Mexico livestock port will reopen on Sept 24 despite a new screwworm case.
USDA lifted New Mexico’s screwworm quarantine on Aug 30 after meeting federal eradication criteria.
USDA resumed cattle imports via Arizona’s Douglas port on Aug 24, the first phased reopening step.
USDA requires animals entering reopened ports to be inspected for screwworm signs before release.
USDA could pause reopening if screwworm risk rises in Mexico’s Sonora or Chihuahua states.

Summary

Presidio Deputies Intercept

Presidio County deputies intercepted a trailer with six horses smuggled from Mexico near Redford, Texas.
Cartel La Línea, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, allegedly controls the Rio Grande horse-smuggling route.
Officials warn smuggled horses could introduce New World screwworm, threatening U.S. cattle.
Experts estimate a Texas screwworm outbreak could cost up to $1.8 billion.
Presidio County deputies have seized more than 50 smuggled horses in the past two years.

History

Historical Context

After Edward Knipling and Raymond Bushland introduced the sterile-insect technique in 1958, USDA eradicated screwworm from Florida by 1959 and the contiguous United States by 1966, later extending the barrier to Mexico (1991). Renewed detections in Mexico (2024) and Texas (June 2026) have prompted port reopenings at Santa Teresa and horse checks near Redford, with USDA warning a Texas outbreak could cost $1.8 billion.

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USDA Reopens NM Port

USDA announced Santa Teresa, New Mexico livestock port will reopen on Sept 24 despite a new screwworm case.
USDA lifted New Mexico’s screwworm quarantine on Aug 30 after meeting federal eradication criteria.
USDA resumed cattle imports via Arizona’s Douglas port on Aug 24, the first phased reopening step.
USDA requires animals entering reopened ports to be inspected for screwworm signs before release.
USDA could pause reopening if screwworm risk rises in Mexico’s Sonora or Chihuahua states.

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