Return of New World Screwworm Poses Threat to U.S. Agriculture
Texas finds itself in a precarious position as the New World screwworm reemerges in the U.S. after being eradicated over six decades ago. This situation is raising alarms regarding American sovereignty and national security.
The screwworm’s return to the U.S. can be traced back to 2021, linked to the collapse of a biological containment barrier in Central America. This wall’s failure led to an increase in human smuggling and, consequently, the movement of infested livestock into the United States. By November 2024, when Mexican authorities confirmed a case, the parasite had already spread extensively throughout Central America and into southern Mexico. The involvement of Mexican authorities with cartels has turned mass migration into a sort of weapon, complicating enforcement efforts at the border.
Mexican cartels function as unofficial agents for elements within the Mexican government. They reportedly transport around 800,000 cattle annually from Central America into Mexico via poorly regulated routes, utilizing counterfeit documentation to bypass inspections and taxes. This illegal trade is estimated to be worth about $320 million each year. Once these livestock reach Mexico, they often enter the legal market, moving into feedlots or federally inspected slaughter facilities for processing or export. As of June 3, reports indicate over 171,700 cases of the screwworm affecting animals, along with more than 2,070 human cases in Mexico, with official numbers likely underreporting the crisis due to many isolated outbreaks.
The U.S. Halts Livestock Imports to Combat the Screwworm Spread
Certain areas in Mexico still seem to shield cartel networks that introduce high-risk biological agents into American supply chains. In 2024, about 1.25 million live cattle were exported to the U.S., valued at around $1.3 billion. Following the halt of live cattle imports, Mexico quickly ramped up processed beef shipments, seeing a 23% surge in the first four months of 2026, as cattle that wouldn’t have been transported live were finished and processed domestically. The screwworm presents a significant risk to various agricultural sectors.
A Presidential Policy Directive highlights food and agriculture as critical infrastructure crucial for national security. There’s an acknowledgment, too, that this sector often finds itself targeted by malicious actors. As Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins succinctly stated, “Food security is national security.” If the U.S. can’t sustain its food needs, it jeopardizes its own security, which is particularly concerning given the history of struggles that have unfolded over the last 250 years.
Recognizing the Implications of Mexico’s Actions
Given this context, Mexico’s role in the spreading of the New World screwworm should certainly be treated as a security concern. Yet, the Mexican government continues to invoke sovereignty while selectively cooperating when it suits them. For instance, President Lopez Obrador’s (AMLO) policy of “Abrazos, No Barazos” has often limited decisive actions against cartels, while, paradoxically, colluding with U.S. efforts to manage the flow of illegal migrants through cartel-influenced areas. It feels a bit contradictory, doesn’t it? On one hand, Mexico promotes cooperation but restricts it to only selective enforcement.
The resurgence of the screwworm arrives at a tough time for the American beef industry. With U.S. cattle numbers at their lowest in 75 years, beef imports have skyrocketed. Mexico’s dependence on U.S. markets is mirrored by the strong grip cartels maintain over key supply chain aspects, including the laundering of smuggled cattle. In 2025, the agricultural trade landscape revealed that the U.S. exported $30.6 billion worth of products to Mexico while importing $43.9 billion, culminating in a deficit of $13.3 billion. This reliance is precisely the kind of national security vulnerability that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been cautioning about. Secretary Rollins emphasized the urgency of addressing the U.S.’s food dependency as a matter of national security.
Counties in Texas are on the front lines of this unfolding crisis. It’s clear that separating trade policy from national security is no longer tenable. There’s a growing consensus that no protocol, policy, or quarantine can adequately shield the nation as long as these cartel routes remain operational.
