USDA bans all live animal exports to Mexico over screwworm outbreak

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued an emergency suspension of all live animal exports to Mexico after laboratories identified the screwworm (gusano barrenador) in several Texas herds and a dog in New Mexico. The ban applies to cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wild ruminants, pigs, and companion animals.

The restriction has crippled feedlots in West Texas, such as the 70‑year‑old Lubborm Feeders operation, which now runs at a fraction of capacity and faces possible closure, leaving workers idle. Conversely, Mexican ranchers in Coahuila are seeing new opportunities to ship processed meat to the United States.

U.S. officials say the ban could be lifted if thorough inspections and treatments are implemented at border entry points, but the outbreak has already tightened an already strained U.S. meat market and raised prices for consumers ahead of mid‑term elections.