The United States Department of Agriculture announced a plan in June 2025 to build a fly-breeding facility at Moore Air Base in southern Texas. This site is located about 32 kilometers from the border with Mexico. The facility aims to prevent the spread of the New World screwworm, a dangerous insect that lays eggs in animal wounds. The larvae eat living flesh, causing serious harm to livestock. The project will release sterile male flies to mate with wild females. These females will then produce no offspring. This method was successful in the 1960s and helped eradicate the parasite from the country. Officials became concerned after the flies appeared in southern Mexico in late 2024. The U.S. then stopped imports of live cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico to stop the insect from entering the country again.

The new Texas facility will cost around $8.5 million and may produce up to 300 million sterile flies each week. This action is in response to the parasite’s reemergence and the growing risk to American agriculture. A similar facility in Panama currently produces about 100 million sterile flies weekly. Experts explained that the sterile fly method is the only way to control the pest and protect the cattle industry. A facility in southern Mexico will also be changed to produce sterile screwworm flies, but it will take 18 months to complete. The return of this insect could cause catastrophic losses, not only to cattle but also to wildlife and pets. Officials warned that wild animals like deer or pigs can carry the parasite across the border. This situation requires collaboration, urgency, and strong cross-border efforts to protect the livestock industry and prevent a major health and economic crisis.