Day 692 — US Reopens Border to Mexican Cattle Exports at Agua Prieta, Sonora After 14-Month Screwworm Ban

On August 24, 2026 (Day 692, Monday), the United States reopened the Agua Prieta (Sonora)–Douglas (Arizona) crossing to Mexican cattle exports, ending a suspension imposed after the first New World screwworm (gusano barrenador) case was detected in a Chiapas bovine in November 2024; the ban had blocked roughly 1.7 million head of cattle worth an estimated $2.2 billion. President Sheinbaum said she received a letter from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins notifying her of the decision. The reopening follows a joint SADER–SENASICA–USDA sanitary action plan and enhanced traceability across a 200-km radius in Sonora and Chihuahua; an initial shipment of roughly 750 head crossed on the first day, with a target of 1,700–2,000 head per day at full capacity. Additional crossings — San Jerónimo-Santa Teresa and Puerto Palomas-Columbus, both linking Chihuahua to New Mexico — are slated to follow in a staggered rollout.