Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Department of Homeland Security officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Moore Air Base in Texas on Aug. 11 to coordinate protection of the U.S. agricultural sector from cross-border biosecurity threats.
The agreement formalizes inter-agency coordination between USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and DHS border enforcement assets, treating agricultural biosecurity as a national security matter.
The MOU specifically addresses the New World Screwworm, a livestock-destroying pest that can devastate cattle herds, and other agricultural invasive threats that could enter the country through the southern border, according to USDA. The signing at a military air base underscores the national security framing.
The FDA also issued an Emergency Use Authorization for a New World Screwworm treatment in dogs and puppies on Aug. 13, reflecting the breadth of federal agency engagement on the pest threat.
The U.S. agriculture sector generates approximately $1.4 trillion in economic activity annually and supports millions of jobs in rural communities. A major pest or disease incursion could trigger trade restrictions, livestock losses and food supply disruptions.
The New World Screwworm was eradicated from the United States in 1982 through a decades-long sterile insect technique program, but it remains present in parts of South America and the Caribbean. USDA maintains a screwworm barrier zone along the Panama-Colombia border to prevent northward migration.
The MOU enables DHS to support USDA surveillance and response efforts at the southern border, including inspection and interdiction capabilities.