EL PASO, Texas — The Santa Teresa livestock crossing is still scheduled to reopen Thursday, even as animal-health officials respond to a second confirmed New World screwworm case in New Mexico. The latest infestation was found Sept. 17 in a horse in Grant County, west of Deming. State and federal teams have increased animal inspections, surveillance and fly trapping near the affected area as they look for additional cases. New Mexico Agriculture Department public affairs specialist Jenny Green said the U.S. Department of Agriculture remained committed to reopening the port as planned. Federal Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced last week that cattle could begin crossing Sept. 24 if the facility continues to meet federal safeguards. “The cattle crossing at the port will be well-protected with the treatment protocols that are in place,” Green said. She also pointed to intensive inspections as providing “reasonable assurance” that cattle entering the United States are not infested. The Santa Teresa operation is expected to process about 700 to 750 cattle daily, with 21 USDA employees assigned to the facility. Inspectors will examine every animal for wounds or signs of infestation. Cattle will receive antiparasitic medication, pass through an insecticide dip and remain at the facility until they dry before entering the country. The parasite’s spread has raised concerns for ranchers and animal owners across the Southwest. New World screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds, and their larvae consume living tissue. Infestations can seriously injure or kill livestock, pets and wildlife and, in rare cases, affect people. USDA says the confirmed cases do not pose a food-safety concern and that the current risk to people and animals in the United States remains very low. The agency reported six U.S. cases this year, including cases in Texas and New Mexico. New Mexico’s first confirmed case involved a dog from Lea County in June. The Grant County horse is the state’s second case after officials determined the dog had come from New Mexico rather than Andrews County, Texas, where it initially had been associated. Authorities have released sterile male flies in Grant County as part of the response. The insects cannot reproduce; when they mate with wild females, they produce no offspring, reducing the pest’s ability to spread. Officials distinguish between the status of an individual animal and the condition of the surrounding area. An animal case may be marked inactive after recovery or after officials take steps to prevent spread, but an area can remain designated as an infested zone until additional requirements are met. Santa Teresa’s reopening is part of a phased plan to restore Mexican cattle imports after USDA closed the crossing in May 2025 as screwworm moved north through Mexico. Imports resumed through Douglas, Arizona, on Aug. 24, making Santa Teresa the second port to reopen under the plan. Before its closure, Santa Teresa handled about 43% of Mexican cattle entering through U.S. ports. The facility processed roughly 500,000 cattle and supported an estimated $1.2 billion in commerce in 2024, according to the director of the Santa Teresa International Import/Export Livestock Facility. If the Santa Teresa reopening proceeds safely, USDA officials have said they will consider restarting cattle operations at the Columbus, New Mexico, crossing on a smaller scale.