Santa Teresa livestock crossing reopens after 16-month closure
More than 400 head of cattle crossed through the Santa Teresa Livestock Crossing Sept. 24, marking the resumption of livestock imports from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, after more than 16 months of closure over concerns about New World screwworm.
The United States halted operations at the crossing in May 2025 after cases of NWS were detected near the U.S.-Mexico border. The parasite can infest warm-blooded animals, with larvae feeding on tissue around open wounds or sores.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Dudley Hoskins visited the Santa Teresa crossing as the gates reopened. He said safeguards developed during the closure, including animal treatments, inspections and other protocols, provide the basis for resuming cattle movements.
“Over the last year and a half, we have been working hand-in-glove with our partners in SENASICA in Mexico, the producer community,” Hoskins said.
Hoskins said the Food and Drug Administration has approved 12 to 15 products for use with different animals and species since the crossing was closed. He said those treatments are an important part of the approach to managing NWS risks.
Safety measures
USDA previously reopened the livestock crossing in Douglas, Arizona, on Aug. 24. Hoskins said about 5,000 head of livestock had been processed through the Douglas port, giving inspectors an opportunity to evaluate the treatment and inspection system before applying it at Santa Teresa.
“We’ve been processing cattle through that port; our inspectors have been checking all the paperwork, the process, the protocols, the detector dogs, that entire system,” Hoskins said. “We’ve been scrutinizing it daily since the Douglas port was reopened.”
He said the experience gave USDA confidence in reopening Santa Teresa while maintaining the additional safeguards. New Mexico State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck said the additional measures are important to resuming cattle imports into the state.
“We have great confidence in the cattle that are entering,” Holeck said. “From Mexico, the treatment, the inspection, the level of security that we have on how those cattle are being brought into this country is tremendous.”
Officials expect to increase the cattle moving across the border at Santa Teresa gradually, while maintaining strict biosecurity protocols.
The Santa Teresa crossing typically handles about 500,000 head of cattle annually, representing an estimated $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion in annual trade. USDA officials have previously said the port accounts for more than 43% of Mexican cattle imports into the U.S based on the previous five years.
Sterile fly releases continue
USDA is also continuing to use sterile flies as part of its strategy to limit the spread of NWS.
“We have our COPEG sterile fly production facility in Panama; we’re producing 100 million sterile flies per week out of that facility,” Hoskins said.
He said the sterile flies are being distributed in Texas, New Mexico and other regions based on modeling and data identifying where they can be used most effectively.
USDA’s tracking information cited by officials lists two active NWS cases in the U.S., including one in Texas and another in Grant County, New Mexico.
The reopening restores livestock traffic through one of the highest-volume cattle crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border while federal, state and Mexican officials continue to use enhanced treatment, inspection and monitoring procedures.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
