For Immediate Release
By: R-CALF USA Communications Director Jaiden Moreland
Contact: R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard
Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa@r-calfusa.com
BILLINGS, Mont., Aug. 13, 2026 – This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security aimed at strengthening protections against foreign animal disease and pest threats, including New World screwworm (NWS), and combating illegal cattle trafficking.
The MOU includes expanded information sharing and the use of technologies such as unmanned aircraft systems and artificial intelligence to improve detection and interdiction at and between ports of entry and within border enforcement zones.
As part of the announcement, USDA acknowledged that an estimated 800,000 head of cattle, representing roughly $320 million in illicit trade, are smuggled each year from Central America into Mexico. USDA said smuggled livestock can bypass sanitary inspections and traceability systems, allowing potentially diseased or unmonitored animals to move across borders undetected and threatening efforts to eradicate NWS
USDA also said it will work with Mexico to ensure only fully documented and legally compliant cattle enter approved U.S. ports of entry and to strengthen adherence to U.S. import requirements and NWS safeguards.
“We commend Secretary Rollins for elevating this serious problem and taking initial steps within her authority to address it,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “USDA does not have authority over cattle movements within Mexico, but stronger coordination with DHS may help determine whether illegally trafficked cattle are being moved northward in anticipation of entering the U.S., or if illegally trafficked cattle are being slaughtered in Mexico with their resultant beef exported to the United States. Both scenarios present a risk to the U.S. livestock herd and potentially to the public and both can be mitigated with strict border controls.”
R-CALF USA first called for a federal investigation into reports of cattle smuggling from Central America, where NWS is endemic, and into Mexico in July 2025, concerned that such cattle contribute to the northward spread of NWS in Mexico. The group continues to urge the administration to keep the U.S. border closed to Mexican livestock until Mexico can demonstrate it has eradicated NWS from within its borders, a strategy that would incentivize Mexico to put a stop to illegal cattle trafficking.
“Illegal cattle trafficking is not a problem we can afford to ignore,” Bullard said. “American cattle producers should not be asked to bear the animal health and economic consequences of failures outside our borders. USDA and DHS should use every tool available to determine the full scope of this illegal trade and eliminate it.”
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Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) is the largest producer-only lobbying and trade association representing U.S. cattle and sheep producers. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle and sheep industries. Visit www.r-calfusa.com or call 406-252-2516 for more information.