New case of New World Screwworm shuts border crossing again
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Santa Teresa livestock crossing was set to open up July 21st after months of closure due to the New World Screwworm, a flesh eating parasite found in Mexico.
But after a new case was found in the Mexican state of Veracruz, the crossing is shut down once again, and Mexican officials are not happy.
"Whatever they do to affect us, they're also affecting the interest of the US," said Alvaro Bustillos. Bustillos is the chairman of the Chihuahua Cattleman's Association and also the owner of Vaquero Trading, one of the largest importers of cattle to the United States.
Bustillos says over $12 million worth of cattle was being transported per day, and now it's nothing.
"We've lacked behind almost 600,000 head of cattle not being crossed to the US. Imagine the impact that that's going to have in the US industry."
He wants more collaboration with officials. Bustillos said that there are protocols in place to make sure that cattle can cross borders even if cases of screwworm are found, but he doesn't think the U.S have seen them.
"If screw worm existed on these exporting states, cattle could keep on flowing with the natural commerce that we have... The protocol is as safe as you can get for cattle to come across into the U.S industry."
He said that Mexico has invested millions of dollars in safety measures, and believes that the exporting states in Mexico are being used as pressure points by the U.S government.
"It seems that every time that we report a case, it's a matter of shutting down the border and punishing these exporting states, not crossing any more cattle. And that's why I criticize this decision."
U.S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollings announced the decision to shut down the crossings on July 10th. She said this in a statement:
"We must see additional progress combatting NWS in Veracruz and other nearby Mexican states in order to reopen livestock ports along the southern border. Thanks to the aggressive monitoring by USDA staff in the U.S. and in Mexico, we have taken decisive action."
There is no timeline as of yet for the reopening of the crossings.
