California Ag Network

Tag: Moore Air Base Edinburg Texas

  • New Sterile Fly Facility Contract Announced

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today announced a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. This facility is a key component in Secretary Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong strategy (PDF, 1005 KB) to fight New World Screwworm (NWS), as it will expand USDA’s domestic response capacity, bolstering protection for U.S. livestock, wildlife, and public health.

    USACE is partnering with USDA and will provide oversight for the contract, design, engineering, and construction of the facility.

    “The Army Corps of Engineers is an essential partner in bringing this facility to life and further highlights the Trump Administration’s government wide effort to fight the New World Screwworm threat in Mexico,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “The Army Corps is the best in the business and their engineering expertise and proven track record in delivering complex projects will help ensure we can build a modern, resilient facility that protects American agriculture from invasive pests for decades to come. This first of its kind facility on U.S. soil will ensure we are not reliant on other countries for sterile flies.”

    “For more than 250 years, USACE has helped secure America by engineering solutions to our nation’s toughest challenges. We are proud to be partnering with USDA in the construction of the Sterile Fly Facility, a critical investment in our nation’s future agricultural, public and economic health. Combining our engineering expertise with USDA’s mission expertise brings us one step closer to alleviating this biological threat,” said Lt. Gen. William H. “Butch” Graham, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general.

    A sterile fly production facility is a specialized biosecure complex where New World Screwworm flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation and then released into targeted areas. Female New World Screwworm flies only mate once in their lives, so if they mate with a sterile male, they lay unfertilized eggs that don’t hatch. This method, known as the Sterile Insect Technique, has been a cornerstone of proven screwworm eradication efforts for decades and is recognized worldwide as a highly effective, environmentally responsible approach to insect control. Sterile Insect Technique, when paired with surveillance, animal movement restrictions, and education and outreach, is a proven and effective tool for controlling and eradicating New World Screwworm.

    USDA currently produces about 100 million sterile flies per week at the COPEG facility in Panama and disperses them within and just north of affected areas in Mexico. In addition to the COPEG facility in Panama, USDA invested $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa, which will double NWS production capacity once complete. With ongoing support from APHIS technical experts, Mexico anticipates sterile fly production will begin at this facility in summer 2026. The new facility at Moore Air Base will be the only U.S.-based sterile fly production facility and will work in tandem with facilities in Panama and Mexico to help eradicate the pest and protect American agriculture.

    USDA and USACE will break ground on this new facility later this spring, after initial planning and development meetings with the new contractor. By November 2027, the production facility at Moore Air Base is expected to reach its initial goal of producing 100 million sterile flies per week. After that, construction will continue at the facility to increase production with the long-term goal of producing 300 million sterile flies per week.

    The New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on warm blooded animals, causing severe animal health impacts and significant economic losses if not controlled. The United States eliminated the pest in 1966 and has maintained that freedom through the ongoing sterile fly program and international partnerships.

    USACE, a command within the U.S. Army, is one of the world’s premier public engineering, design, and construction management organizations. With more than 35,000 employees worldwide, USACE delivers engineering solutions in support of military construction, water resources infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and federal agency partnerships. USACE provides engineering expertise to strengthen national security, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risk.

    For more information about NWS and USDA’s efforts, visit Screwworm.gov. — By the United States Department of Agriculture

  • USDA Completes Sterile Fly Dispersal Facility

    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Governor of Texas Greg Abbott visited Moore Air Base to  celebrate a significant achievement in the fight against New World Screwworm (NWS) with the completion of a U.S.-based sterile fly dispersal facility in Edinburg, Texas. This facility expands USDA’s ability to disperse sterile flies along the border and into the United States, if necessary.

    “The Trump Administration continues to bring the full force of the federal government to fight New World Screwworm,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “This sterile fly dispersal facility was a high priority project, and our team delivered it in record time. This new facility is a monumental achievement for our domestic preparedness efforts, but we are also diligently working to stop the spread of screwworm in Mexico, conduct extensive trapping and surveillance along the border, increase U.S. response capacity, and encourage innovative solutions. We will never stop fighting to protect American agriculture. USDA, through a whole-of-government approach, will continue to hold Mexico accountable to mitigating the spread of this dangerous pest.”

    “America is going to take care of ourselves, including dealing with the approach of screwworm as it gets closer to our border,” said Governor Abbott. “We put together the resources necessary for Texas to provide a Texas-size response to this. We thank Secretary Rollins and President Trump for stepping forward to provide the stop gap effort essential to protecting our ranchers and our wildlife.”

    Trump Administration NWS Response

    In June 2025, Secretary Rollins announced a sweeping five-pronged plan(PDF, 1005 KB) to enhance USDA’s already robust ability to detect, control, and eliminate NWS. As part of that announcement, she also shared plans to build this sterile NWS fly dispersal facility in South Texas. The completion of the facility further expands the network of dispersal facilities through Central America and Mexico and solidifies the increased preparedness offered by having a U.S.-based facility.

    On January 30, USDA announced a shift in its 100 million per week sterile fly dispersal efforts to reinforce coverage along the U.S.-Mexico border. While the sterile flies for this effort will initially be dispersed from the Tampico, Mexico facility, USDA is prepared to quickly and strategically shift operations to the new Texas facility should there be a change in the location or new concentration of NWS cases in northern Mexico.

    About Sterile Fly

    Sterile insect technique, when paired with surveillance, animal movement restrictions, and education and outreach, is a proven and effective tool for controlling and eradicating NWS. Female NWS flies only mate once in their lives, so if they mate with a sterile male, they lay unfertilized eggs that don’t hatch. Releasing sterile flies just outside of affected areas helps ensure flies traveling to new areas will only encounter sterile mates and will not be able to reproduce.

    Sterile insects are dispersed through aerial dispersal or ground release. Aerial operations are preferred because they allow for dispersal at a steady rate through a large area and also because sterile insects may be dispersed in areas that are unreachable from the ground. Ground release is used when there is a need to quickly deploy sterile insects outside of the dispersal facility range. Mass production and targeted dispersal of sterile flies remain critical components of an effective response.

    USDA currently produces sterile flies for dispersal at the COPEG facility in Panama. USDA is also investing $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa—which will double NWS production capacity once complete. With ongoing support from technical experts in USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Mexico anticipates this sterile fly production to begin as soon as summer 2026.

    To continue to expand USDA’s domestic response capacity, the Department is building a sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, with a targeted maximum capacity of 300 million sterile flies per week. USDA expects to break ground on that facility later this spring. With existing and planned production facilities fully operational, USDA will have up to 500 million sterile files per week in its arsenal to fight this pest all the way back to the Darién Gap. The international network of facilities will produce 100 million sterile flies per week at COPEG in Panama, 100 million at Metapa in Mexico, and 300 million at Moore Air Base.

    What You Can Do

    Even though there have been no detections of NWS inside the U.S. and the northernmost active case of NWS is still about 200 miles away from the border, USDA is asking Americans to continue to remain vigilant by checking their livestock and pets for signs of NWS. Look for draining or enlarging wounds and signs of discomfort. Also look for NWS larvae (maggots) and eggs in or around body openings, such as the nose, ears, and genitalia or the navel of newborn animals. If you suspect your animal is infested with NWS, immediately report it to your state animal health official or USDA area veterinarian in charge.

    NWS maggots can infest livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including people. They most often enter an animal through an open wound and feed on the animal’s living flesh. While not common in people, if you notice a suspicious lesion on your body or suspect you may have contracted NWS, seek immediate medical attention. — USDA