Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Ammon Blair, Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, testifies before the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the growing threat of New World screw worm reintroduction into the United States — and its direct connection to cartel-controlled trafficking networks operating out of Mexico.
Blair argues that Texas is no longer dealing with a typical neighboring country, but rather an increasingly autocratic narco state where cartels and elements of the Mexican government operate in symbiosis across major economic sectors, including agriculture, cattle, transportation, and trade.
He warns that the focus on fentanyl and illegal alien crossings at the southern border has caused policymakers to overlook the vast criminal marketplace cartels control across Mexico and Latin America — one that has now integrated directly into legitimate economies, including the cattle supply chain.
Key points from his testimony:
- Over 800,000 head of cattle from South and Central America are moved into Mexico annually through Guatemala
- Cartels launder cattle into legitimate supply chains using counterfeit ear tags, falsified veterinary records, and corrupt logistics networks
- The screw worm outbreak's spread mirrors known cartel trafficking corridors, including through the Darién Gap
- Mexico ranks 1st in the world for criminal markets and 3rd overall for criminality among 193 nations
Blair concludes that without directly addressing cartel trafficking pipelines, no policy or protocol alone will be sufficient to protect Texas and U.S. cattle from disease reintroduction.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.
Funded by thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Foundation does not accept government funds or contributions to influence the outcomes of its research.
The public is demanding a different direction for their government, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation is providing the ideas that enable policymakers to chart that new course.
Website: texaspolicy.com
X: twitter.com/tppf
Facebook: facebook.com/texaspolicy
Instagram: instagram.com/texaspolicy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/texas-public-policy-foundation
Ammon Blair, Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, testifies before the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the growing threat of New World screw worm reintroduction into the United States — and its direct connection to cartel-controlled trafficking networks operating out of Mexico.
Blair argues that Texas is no longer dealing with a typical neighboring country, but rather an increasingly autocratic narco state where cartels and elements of the Mexican government operate in symbiosis across major economic sectors, including agriculture, cattle, transportation, and trade.
He warns that the focus on fentanyl and illegal alien crossings at the southern border has caused policymakers to overlook the vast criminal marketplace cartels control across Mexico and Latin America — one that has now integrated directly into legitimate economies, including the cattle supply chain.
Key points from his testimony:
- Over 800,000 head of cattle from South and Central America are moved into Mexico annually through Guatemala
- Cartels launder cattle into legitimate supply chains using counterfeit ear tags, falsified veterinary records, and corrupt logistics networks
- The screw worm outbreak's spread mirrors known cartel trafficking corridors, including through the Darién Gap
- Mexico ranks 1st in the world for criminal markets and 3rd overall for criminality among 193 nations
Blair concludes that without directly addressing cartel trafficking pipelines, no policy or protocol alone will be sufficient to protect Texas and U.S. cattle from disease reintroduction.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.
Funded by thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Foundation does not accept government funds or contributions to influence the outcomes of its research.
The public is demanding a different direction for their government, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation is providing the ideas that enable policymakers to chart that new course.
Website: texaspolicy.com
X: twitter.com/tppf
Facebook: facebook.com/texaspolicy
Instagram: instagram.com/texaspolicy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/texas-public-policy-foundation
