Port of entry reopens to livestock

SANTA TERESA, New Mexico (KVIA) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Dudley Hoskins visited the Santa Teresa Livestock Crossing this morning as the gates reopened.

The port of entry had been shuttered for almost a year and a half because of New World screwworm concerns.

U.S. and Mexican authorities were forced to close the crossing after cases of the screwworm were detected close to the border area.

The New World screwworm lays eggs on open wounds or sores of livestock and animals. The eggs hatch into maggots that eat the livestock flesh and infect the animal.

This morning about 400 livestock made their way across the port of entry.

On average, this crossing sees about half a million head of cattle cross each year. That's averages to about $1.2-1.4 billion per year.