Overview

• USDA ordered an immediate closure of cattle, bison and horse trade through southern ports following a detected screwworm case in Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz.
• This week’s phased reopening of five border ports was overridden by the new finding, underscoring close surveillance by USDA teams in both countries.
• On June 18 USDA unveiled an $8.5 million sterile-fly breeding site in South Texas and a $21 million renovation of Mexico’s Metapa facility to mass-produce irradiated male flies.
• More than 35,000 screwworm infestations have been recorded across Central America since early 2023, with cattle comprising 83 percent of reported cases.
• Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the renewed import ban as “exaggerated,” highlighting diplomatic friction over response measures.