Key Takeaways
- USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, representing DHS, announced a new Memorandum of Understanding on Aug. 10, 2026, at Moore Air Base in Texas.
- The agreement pairs USDA’s animal health expertise with DHS border, security, and inspection authorities to detect and respond to New World screwworm and other agricultural threats.
- The MOU calls for unmanned aircraft systems and artificial intelligence to improve screening and interdiction at U.S. ports of entry and border enforcement zones.
- USDA estimates roughly 800,000 head of cattle are smuggled annually from Central America into Mexico, representing about $320 million in illicit trade that can bypass sanitary inspection and traceability systems.
- The partnership also expands joint research with DHS Centers of Excellence to develop new detection and mitigation technology for screwworm and similar threats.
Pairing the USDA’s animal-health work with DHS border and inspection powers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at tightening border defenses against New World screwworm, a damaging livestock pest. The agreement, signed on Aug. 10, 2026, at Moore Air Base in Texas, leans on drones and artificial intelligence to screen for the threat at U.S. ports of entry.
USDA and DHS Formalize Border Biosecurity Partnership
The two departments signed the new Memorandum of Understanding on Aug. 10, 2026, with the goal of protecting the country’s food, agriculture, and veterinary systems from threats such as New World screwworm. Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins hosted the announcement at Moore Air Base in Texas, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott stood in for DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
“The United States has the strongest food and agriculture system in the world,” said Secretary Rollins. “This new agreement builds upon the National Farm Security Action Plan in partnership with DHS. The MOU further aligns our animal health mission with DHS’s border, security, and inspection authorities, so we are better positioned to detect, assess, and respond to agricultural threats like New World screwworm. Together, we can move faster and more effectively to better support and protect America’s animals, people, and agricultural resources.”
Screwworm Threat Drives New Coordination
Real-time sharing of biosurveillance data and other information between the two departments is central to the MOU, with the goal of speeding up inspections and response actions. The agreement also lays out protocols for joint training and coordinated response during high-consequence events, and both departments outline their respective responsibilities for future incidents affecting the food and agriculture sectors.
“Safeguarding American agriculture from threats abroad starts at our border,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. “Proud to work alongside Secretary Rollins as we fight to protect our farmers, ranchers, and livestock.”
Livestock Smuggling and Border Enforcement
Part of the agreement’s aim, USDA said, is addressing livestock smuggling routes it links to screwworm risk. The agency estimates that roughly 800,000 head of cattle are smuggled each year from Central America into Mexico, a trade valued at about $320 million. Smuggled animals often skip sanitary inspection and traceability checks, which USDA said lets disease cross borders undetected — a gap that prevention-focused livestock disease management practices are designed to close. USDA said it will work with Mexico so that cattle entering approved U.S. ports of entry are fully documented and meet import requirements tied to screwworm safeguards, a priority across the broader livestock sector.
USDA Expands Research Partnerships
The MOU also broadens existing research ties between USDA and DHS Centers of Excellence, as the departments work to develop new screening, detection, and mitigation tools for screwworm and other emerging agricultural threats. Federal, state, tribal, and local partners, along with industry stakeholders, helped shape the agreement, USDA said, and both departments plan to review and update it periodically. More on USDA’s screwworm response is available at Screwworm.gov.
