With the landowner’s permission, drone teams arrived shortly after sunrise to survey livestock and wildlife on the ranch. Early morning hours made it easier for the drone’s infrared sensors to detect warm-blooded animals against the cooler ground. The USDA is researching AI to “analyze drone imagery to detect wounds, identify animals and prioritize inspections.” Besides drones, USDA has used stationary cameras for more than 26,000 animal observations and over 8,000 fly traps—though no fly trap detections related to screwworm have occurred despite US animal cases.\n\nThe drones are a “force multiplier” but do not replace the “proven eradication method” of releasing sterile male flies, known as Sterile Insect Technique.

This method previously eradicated flies from the US and Central America, pushing screwworm beyond the Darién Gap. However, flies breached the barrier in 2022 and moved north, leading to new US cases. To combat spread, the USDA jointly funds a facility with Panama releasing about 100 million sterile flies weekly.

It also began similar releases in Mexico after a $21 million renovation.\n\nNow, the USDA works with the US Army Corps of Engineers on a new facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas, scheduled for completion by April 1, 2027. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also announced $25 million for a separate sterile fly facility in Douglas, Arizona, which could be completed in months. The biggest threat is to the livestock industry, but Mexico has seen over 500 human cases in 2025 and 2026, with accelerating infestation rates.