USDA Completes Sterile Fly Facility in Texas to Fight Screwworm

New facility will expand USDA's ability to disperse sterile flies along the U.S.-Mexico border

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has completed construction of a sterile fly dispersal facility in Edinburg, Texas, as part of the Trump Administration's efforts to combat the spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) into the United States. The new facility will allow USDA to produce and release up to 300 million sterile flies per week, bolstering the existing sterile fly production in Panama and Mexico.

Why it matters

New World Screwworm is a dangerous pest that can infest livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including humans. By establishing a U.S.-based sterile fly production facility, USDA is enhancing its ability to quickly and strategically respond to any potential NWS outbreaks along the border, a key part of its comprehensive plan to detect, control, and eliminate this threat to American agriculture.

The details

The new sterile fly dispersal facility is located at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. It will complement existing sterile fly production at facilities in Panama and Mexico, allowing USDA to ramp up to a total capacity of 500 million sterile flies per week. Sterile insect technique is a proven method for controlling and eradicating NWS, as sterile male flies mate with females but produce no offspring. The new Texas facility will enable USDA to quickly shift dispersal operations to the U.S. side of the border if needed.

  • The facility was completed on February 9, 2026.
  • USDA expects to break ground on the Texas facility in spring 2026.
  • Mexico anticipates starting sterile fly production at its renovated facility in Metapa as soon as summer 2026.

The players

Brooke L. Rollins

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Greg Abbott

Governor of Texas.

USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is leading the federal government's efforts to combat the spread of New World Screwworm.

APHIS

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is providing technical expertise to support Mexico's sterile fly production facility.

COPEG

The USDA facility in Panama that currently produces sterile flies for dispersal.

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What they’re saying

“The Trump Administration continues to bring the full force of the federal government to fight New World Screwworm. This sterile fly dispersal facility was a high priority project, and our team delivered it in record time.”

— Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

“America is going to take care of ourselves, including dealing with the approach of screwworm as it gets closer to our border. We put together the resources necessary for Texas to provide a Texas-size response to this.”

— Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

What’s next

USDA expects to break ground on the sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, later this spring.

The takeaway

By establishing a U.S.-based sterile fly dispersal facility, USDA is bolstering its comprehensive strategy to detect, control, and eliminate the threat of New World Screwworm, a dangerous pest that could devastate American agriculture if allowed to spread across the border from Mexico.