Smuggling animals across the southern border poses a risk of transmitting the flesh-consuming New World Screwworm parasites into the United States, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General John Walk warned in a recent press release.
Walk made the comments while on a visit to Brownsville, Texas, where he met with federal officials to discuss the threat of animal smuggling, according to the July 6 statement from the USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).
“Federal officials discussed the need for heightened awareness to animal smuggling and transporting of animals across the southern border in violation of USDA requirements due to New World screwworm (NWS),” Walk said….