Agriculture secretary to reopen Santa Teresa cattle crossing
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will visit southern New Mexico on Thursday to announce the reopening of the Santa Teresa cattle crossing. The crossing is a major entry point for livestock imported from Mexico and has been closed as federal authorities restricted livestock imports in response to the northward spread of New World screwworm.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it is implementing a phased federal plan to restore cross-border livestock trade under new protocols intended to prevent the spread of the parasite.
Rollins is scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday at the Santa Teresa cattle crossing. The USDA has said livestock trade through Santa Teresa is expected to resume next week, but the agency has not announced a specific date.
The crossing closed as federal authorities restricted livestock imports from Mexico in response to the northward spread of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae infest open wounds and feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The parasite can infect cattle, horses, wildlife, pets and, in rare cases, humans. It was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s through a program that released sterile male flies to disrupt reproduction.
The USDA began its phased reopening of southern cattle crossings Aug. 24 at the port in Douglas, Arizona. Federal officials said the agency would monitor operations there before reopening additional crossings in New Mexico and Texas.
Rollins said Wednesday that the Douglas operation showed livestock imports could resume safely under the new safeguards.
“What you all have proven for the last 20-plus days in Douglas is that this is manageable and doable,” Rollins said during a conference in Portland, Maine. She added that the USDA would close a crossing again if officials identified a new threat.
The agency has not released full details about the protocols required at Santa Teresa. Previously announced measures have included animal inspections, treatments and documentation intended to prevent infected livestock from entering the United States.
The prolonged closure has affected ranchers, livestock brokers and businesses on both sides of the border. Santa Teresa handles cattle arriving primarily from the Mexican state of Chihuahua before transferring the animals to U.S. ranches and feedlots.
Thursday’s announcement is expected to include the reopening timeline, livestock inspection requirements, and details about how federal officials will respond if another infestation is detected.
The USDA has not said when other livestock crossings, including Columbus, New Mexico, will reopen.
