Text from article:
It’s evident that the Trump administration hasn’t given much credence to the cautionary tale. The president lowered the drawbridge for screwworms last year when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed federal contributions to a robust U.S. Agency for International Development partner program with Panama, where the insects were confined to a remote isthmus for many decades. His DOGE initiative made deep staffing cuts to the USDA, under which the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is housed. APHIS employees represent the first line of defense against incoming parasites, inspecting the cattle awaiting import from Mexico to ensure no screwworms are hitching a ride. In one year under Trump, APHIS staffing has been drained of 1,885 employees, a 23 percent reduction. Screwworms specialize in exploiting these sort of free-bleeding cuts.