Inside the U.S. Government’s Bold Plan to Breed Billions of Sterile Flies to Protect Our Beef Industry

The United States government is deploying an extraordinary—and some might say unsettling—biological warfare tactic right here on our doorstep. The plan: breed billions of sterile New World Screwworm flies and release them over southern Texas and Mexico to combat a destructive flesh-eating maggot that could devastate America’s vital beef industry.

This isn’t sci-fi; it’s a strategic move rooted in science and history. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) intends to sterilize male flies with radiation before releasing them, ensuring they produce no viable offspring when they mate with wild females. Over time, this measure will collapse the pest population naturally, sparing the environment from harsh chemical pesticides.

Why all this fuss? The New World Screwworm larva is one of the rare pests that actually consumes living flesh—laying eggs in wounds on cattle, wildlife, pets, or even humans. A single infestation can kill a 1,000-pound cow in as little as two weeks while inflicting severe suffering and economic losses on ranchers.

The U.S. once eradicated this pest decades ago by releasing more than 94 billion sterile flies between 1962 and 1975—a massive but successful campaign demonstrating America’s capacity for innovative biosecurity solutions when protecting our sovereignty and industries.

However, after years without the threat, breeding facilities closed down, leaving America vulnerable again. Following the pest’s recent reappearance in southern Mexico late last year—right next door—USDA is urgently reviving production capacity. Plans include opening a new fly factory in southern Mexico by July 2026 and establishing a distribution center in Texas before year-end to ensure rapid response capability.

This is not just about flies; it’s about defending American agriculture from invasive threats that could cripple our food supply chain and harm rural communities. Enhanced border controls temporarily restrict livestock imports to halt pest spread—but soft targets remain wherever open wounds exist among warm-blooded animals.

Breeding billions of flies weekly demands precision science—feeding larvae specialized diets mimicking wild conditions and ensuring secure containment so no fertile insects escape unintentionally. Past incidents remind us of risks: a plane crashed last month near Mexico’s border during fly dispersal operations, claiming lives.

This strategy underscores American ingenuity paired with gritty determination to safeguard national interests using proven tools rather than reckless reliance on toxic chemicals or bureaucratic complacency.

However, vigilance never ends. As USDA entomologist Edwin Burgess warns, declaring victory too soon invites resurgence—our farmers deserve continual protection against these silent but deadly foes that threaten America’s heartland prosperity.