In June 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a plan to build a fly-breeding center at Moore Air Base in southern Texas, about 32 kilometers from the Mexico border. The goal is to stop the spread of the New World screwworm. This insect lays eggs in animal wounds. When the eggs hatch, the young flies eat the flesh of live animals. This causes serious injuries, especially to farm animals like cows. The plan is to release sterile male flies into the wild. When these flies mate with female flies, no babies are born. This method helped eradicate the screwworm in the 1960s. In late 2024, the insect was found again in southern Mexico, so the U.S. quickly stopped bringing in live animals from Mexico to avoid further contamination.

The Texas facility will cost about $8.5 million and can produce 300 million sterile flies each week. This plan is very important because of the insect’s reemergence and the danger it brings to U.S. farms. A similar facility in Panama now produces 100 million sterile flies weekly. Experts said this method is the most efficient way to protect animals. A facility in Mexico will also be converted to help produce sterile flies, but this will take 18 months. Without action, the parasite could cause catastrophic damage. Officials emphasized the need for collaboration, urgency, and international cooperation to prevent a serious agricultural and economic crisis.