Rollins suspends all cattle, horse, and bison imports from Mexico over ‘deadly’ pest

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the immediate suspension of all cattle, horse, and bison imports coming from Mexico amid the “rapid” spread of a deadly parasitic insect known as the New World screwworm fly.

In a press release on Sunday, Rollins said officials from the Agriculture Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will now restrict the live animal imports from Mexico on a month-to-month basis to ensure they can slow and contain the “unacceptable” northward advancement of the fly. The release noted that the insect, which feeds on the tissue of animals, has recently been detected in Mexican farms about 700 miles away from the U.S. southern border despite costly efforts from both countries to eradicate the bug.

Rollins emphasized that the action was taken

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