DOJ drops hammer on corruption scheme in agency Dems told DOGE not to touch
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency essentially dismantled by DOGE amid complaints from Democrats that cutting waste would harm impoverished countries, is at the center of a massive bribery scandal.
A federal contracting officer and three businessmen have pleaded guilty in a scheme involving bribes like cash, NBA tickets, and a country club wedding in a scandal the Department of Justice (DOJ) said was part of a $550 million scam, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel reported Friday.
Roderick Watson, 57, worked as a USAID contracting officer, according to a DOJ press release, and pleaded guilty to “bribery of a public official.”
According to the DOJ, Watson sold his influence starting in 2013, with contractors Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, funneling payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks.
RISCH URGES ‘TOP TO BOTTOM’ USAID SPENDING REVIEW AFTER WASTE, FRAUD EXPOSED
“During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant,” the press release explained.
“Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.”
THOUSANDS OF USAID TERMINATIONS TO TAKE EFFECT BY SEPTEMBER IN AGENCY’S FINAL LEG OF ‘DRAWDOWN’
Vistant was awarded in November 2023, as part of a joint venture, a contract worth up to $800 million with one of the focuses of that contract being to address “a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States,” an issue that President Joe Biden tasked then-Vice President Kamala Harris with during his presidency.
Several days later, that contract was canceled after USAID published a notice that said Vistant was excluded from government contracting due to “evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.”
The joint venture then successfully sued the government over being put on that exclusion list and was re-awarded the contract and given a $10,000 payment in August 2024.
“Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG) said in the press release.
“USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.”
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USAID was one of the public faces and most drastic examples of DOGE’s efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in government, and the effort resulted in the agency’s programs being cut by 83%, while the programs deemed vital were moved to the State Department.
USAID’s website went dark, and employees were barred from entering its headquarters on Feb. 3, while others had their work put on hold. The Trump administration then announced that all USAID direct-hire personnel would be put on administrative leave.
The agency came under fire for many funding choices, including allocating $1.5 million for a program that sought to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities” and a $70,000 program for a “DEI musical” in Ireland.
During DOGE’s sweep, it was revealed that U.S. dollars were ending up in the hands of terror-linked groups, such as funds reportedly providing “full funding” for al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to attend college in Colorado, Fox News Digital previously reported.
As DOGE was dismantling USAID, many Democrats and media outlets blasted the cuts, claiming they would harm impoverished recipients of aid across the globe and some, including U2 frontman Bono, who said the cuts would lead to over 300,000 deaths.
Several House and Senate Democrats protested outside of USAID’s headquarters in early February, expressing outrage over the layoffs and cuts, The Hill reported.
“Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID,” Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in the DOJ’s press release.
Former Pentagon official warns of overlooked problem if Iran gives up nuclear program
European and Iranian negotiators ended their talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday without a clear breakthrough, but diplomats told The Associated Press they were hopeful of more discussions with the Iranians.
The talks with Iran come a day after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a message from President Trump, stating, “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”
One former Pentagon official says there is an important issue that is not being discussed.
“If Iran gives up its nuclear program as Trump has demanded, there’s another problem we’re not talking about, which is how do we get all the nuclear material outside of Iran,” Michael Rubin, an American Enterprise Institute senior fellow, told Fox News Digital.
Rubin, who has lived in post-revolution Iran, Yemen, and both pre- and postwar Iraq, mentioned that there are a few options available.
“The United States could do it, but we don’t want boots on the ground.”
MOMENTUM FOR REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN SURGES AMID ISRAEL’S CONFLICT WITH TEHRAN
He said the International Atomic Energy Agency could be tasked with doing it, adding, “Who really trusts the United Nations and U.N. agencies?”
“If Trump is serious about getting Iran to forfeit its nuclear program, it’s time to start having a conversation with other allies about who could take command, control and custody of this nuclear material until it’s outside of Iran.”
Rubin said he would nominate India to seize the nuclear material.
“They are trusted by the Americans, they’re trusted by the Israelis and they’re trusted by the Iranians. But we need to start not only being reactive, but also proactive,” said Rubin
IRAN TALKS WITH EUROPEANS SET FOR FRIDAY; WHITE HOUSE SEES ‘SUBSTANTIAL CHANCE’ FOR RENEWED NEGOTIATIONS
Rubin cited a quote from Margaret Thatcher to George H.W. Bush in 1990 — “Don’t go wobbly on me now, George” — when Saddam Hussein invaded Iraq.
“I suspect Marco Rubio is filling Margaret Thatcher’s britches, that he is the one going around now to our European allies, saying, ‘Don’t go wobbly on me now.,’” said Rubin.
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“[He] is saying this to everyone else within the European Union and the United Kingdom because if the Europeans have their choice, they’re going to choose quiet over common sense.”
On Thursday, Rubio spoke with counterparts to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
According to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, he spoke with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in separate conversations about the ongoing conflict.
They all agreed to “continue to work together closely to commit to a path of peace and ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon,” Bruce said.
Cop speaks out after Karen Read acquittal in colleague’s mysterious snow death
The Boston police officer who owned the property where John O’Keefe was found dead during a blizzard in January 2022 said he would have “taken a bullet” for his former colleague in a televised interview just days after jurors found the suspected killer, Karen Read, not guilty.
Brian Albert’s sister-in-law, Jennifer McCabe, woke him up after she, Read and another woman found O’Keefe unresponsive in the yard around 6 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2022.
“By the time I came downstairs, the police were already in my house, John was already gone, [and] there was nobody to save,” Albert told ABC News Friday. “I would’ve taken a bullet for John O’Keefe.”
CLEARED OF MURDER HARGES, KAREN READ COULD EYE LEGAL PAYBACK AGAINST INVESTIGATORS WHO COST HER
WATCH: Karen Read’s message for John O’Keefe’s family
Outside a celebratory post-verdict dinner, Read was asked if she had any words for O’Keefe’s family.
“I fought for John O’Keefe, harder than anyone,” she said. “Harder than anyone.”
Read’s supporters have painted Albert and his family as villains, although he was not called to the stand in her second trial, her defense insinuated that O’Keefe’s fatal injuries had something to do with his dog, Chloe, and possibly a friend who was also at the house party.
Police never identified anyone but Read as a suspect, and no one else faced charges in connection with O’Keefe’s death.
WATCH: Karen Read’s attorneys weigh in on John O’Keefe’s death: ‘Somebody is still out there’
VINDICATED KAREN READ THANKS ‘GREATEST’ LEGAL TEAM AS JURORS DELIVER NOT GUILTY VERDICT IN BOYFRIEND’S DEATH
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Read, O’Keefe and a group of other people had been invited back to Albert’s home just after midnight when the local bars closed.
Six hours later, O’Keefe was found dead under a layer of snow on the front lawn. Prosecutors alleged that Read hit him with her Lexus SUV and left the scene, but jurors didn’t buy the story.
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After a trial that stretched on for more than 30 days, and four days of deliberation, jurors found Read not guilty of all homicide-related charges. They convicted her only of drunken driving, for which she will serve a year on probation.
After the trial, her defense hinted that whoever did O’Keefe has eluded investigators, who were faulted for a sloppy investigation and missed protocols at trial, in an audit, and through internal reviews.
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“Somebody is still out there, and it’s a shame that this investigation was not done in the proper way so that they could have gotten to the truth,” David Yannetti, one of her defense attorneys, told reporters Thursday.
Shark attack on popular beach leaves swimmer with ‘serious injuries’
A South Carolina beachgoer is lucky to be alive after walking away with serious injuries from a suspected shark attack earlier this week.
The incident reportedly occurred off the coast of the south end of Hilton Head Island on Tuesday, a Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue official confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“The incident involved a patient with a leg injury consistent with lacerations typically associated with a shark bite,” the department said in a statement.
BEACHES WITH MOST SHARK ATTACKS AS AMERICANS PAY TRIBUTE TO ‘JAWS’ AND ACTIVIST WEIGHS IN
Local rescue crews were dispatched to beach marker 24 in Sea Pines Beach at approximately 12:07 p.m. regarding reports of a medical emergency.
Firefighters and lifeguards subsequently treated the victim at the scene before transporting her to Hilton Head Island Airport, where she was then airlifted to a local facility in Savannah for further medical treatment.
Local officials declined Fox News Digital’s request for information regarding the victim’s identity and condition, citing privacy regulations.
POPULAR SPRING BREAK ACTIVITY LANDS AMERICAN TOURIST IN HOSPITAL: ‘FELT LIKE I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT’
The attack comes just days after a 9-year-old girl was bitten by a shark on Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to Fox 13.
Leah Lendel was enjoying a snorkeling trip with her family in Boca Grande on June 11 when a shark bit her hand, the outlet reported.
The injuries left her hand “hanging by a little piece of skin,” a witness reportedly said.
ALLIGATOR INJURES GIRL SWIMMING IN POPULAR SUMMER STATE PARK DESTINATION
Lendel was pulled from the water by a nearby construction crew and airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, where she underwent surgery involving artery grafts, bone reconstruction and nerve repair.
“I didn’t see anything,” Lendel said at a news conference Thursday. “I was just snorkeling and I went up to breathe, then something hard bit me and it tried to take me away. Then I pick up my hand and it’s all in blood. Then, I started screaming with my mom. And then, my dad was with me. He picked me up, then we ran to the road.
Doctors were able to save Lendel’s hand, a feat they partially credit to how “clean” the bite was.
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“The shark’s teeth are so sharp that the cut through the wrist is clean and not jagged, and it doesn’t ruin all the tissue,” Dr. Alfred Hess said.
Lendel anticipates she will return to the water once she has made a full recovery.
“She’s done a fantastic job, I can already tell you,” Dr. Joshua Linnell said. “I just keep looking over at those fingers because we worked hard on that.”
Lendel’s family did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Ousted Democrat mayor launches $99 autobiography while pleading the Fifth in court
The embattled former Chicago suburb “super mayor” has announced her latest business venture as her legal woes continue to pile up following a tumultuous time in office.
Tiffany Henyard, the former Democratic mayor of Dolton, has announced she is peddling a “tell-all” autobiography, titled “Standing on Business.”
In a Facebook post, the disgraced politician vowed “the real story is coming” while sharing a link to pre-order the book – which boasts a price tag of $99 and is reportedly the first of a three-part series – from a self-publishing website.
FORMER DEM ‘SUPER MAYOR’ PLEADS THE FIFTH AFTER FAILING TO PRODUCE PUBLIC RECORDS IN COURT
“From mommy moves to making history, [Henyard] is not just showing up,” she wrote. “She’s standing on business.”
However, the former mayor’s constituents appeared less than pleased, taking their opinions online to voice their skepticism of Henyard’s latest business venture.
“Still trying to hustle money!” one commenter said in the Dolton Politics Facebook Page.
“Michelle Obama’s bestseller was cheaper than this mess,” another poster wrote. “The unmitigated gal!”
SELF-PROCLAIMED DEMOCRATIC ‘SUPER MAYOR’ ORDERED TO COURT AS SCANDAL-PLAGUED TENURE UNRAVELS
Henyard’s attorneys declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Henyard’s announcement comes as she faces several legal woes stemming from her time as Dolton mayor and Thornton Township supervisor after her reelection bid proved unsuccessful.
Earlier this month, Henyard pleaded the Fifth in a court hearing over a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from her time at the helm.
“The smear campaign against Tiffany Henyard, which began while she was in office, continues even now that she is out of office,” her attorney, Beau Bridley, previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
CRITIC OF EMBATTLED DOLTON, ILLINOIS MAYOR SEES BUSINESS DESTROYED BY ‘SUSPICIOUS’ FIRE: OFFICIALS
Henyard was previously held in contempt of court after she failed to hand over public documents related to the lawsuit. Her attorney subsequently acknowledged the former mayor does not have the requested documents, with an Illinois judge ruling Henyard’s legal team can submit an affidavit in its place.
“The mayor has no document that the plaintiff seeks,” Bridley said. “This matter is going to be resolved with a simple affidavit. The whole hearing was much ado about nothing.”
The lawsuit was initially filed by the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc. in response to the organization suing Henyard and the Village of Dolton for failing to produce financial records after the documents were requested under federal FOIA laws.
‘SUPER MAYOR’ TIFFANY HENYARD SKIPS DOLTON MEETINGS AS CONTROVERSIAL TENURE NEARS QUIET END
“We had little doubt Ms. Henyard would use losing the election as an excuse not to produce the documents,” Edward “Coach” Weinhaus, attorney for Edgar County Watchdogs, previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Invoking the Fifth Amendment for a criminal investigation was an added wrinkle. The Watchdogs will keep looking for the documents even if the voters might have inadvertently thrown out the documents with the mayor.”
Henyard initially made national headlines in April 2024 after officials in her administration were served with subpoenas from the FBI in response to an alleged corruption investigation, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Henyard, however, was never charged.
In response to the FBI’s investigation, village trustees voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to investigate Henyard’s spending during her time as mayor, with the meeting spiraling into chaos as Henyard’s supporters clashed with her opponents.
SELF-PROCLAIMED DEMOCRATIC ‘SUPER MAYOR’ ORDERED TO COURT AS SCANDAL-PLAGUED TENURE UNRAVELS
The financial probe reportedly revealed the village’s bank account fell from its initial $5.6 million balance to a $3.6 million deficit.
Earlier this year, Henyard subsequently lost the city’s mayoral primary to Jason House, who was sworn into office in May.
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On the same day of her election loss, federal authorities slapped the Village of Dolton with a subpoena demanding records tied to a land development project allegedly tied to Henyard’s boyfriend.
Elon Musk lashes out at key Trump aide rumored to be at center of explosive feud
Billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday lashed out at a key aide to President Donald Trump who was rumored to have played a role in contributing to the feud that broke out between the CEO and the president.
Musk responded to a report by the New York Post that said Sergio Gor, who serves as the director of presidential personnel at the White House, has not yet submitted the paperwork required for him to obtain a permanent security clearance.
“He’s a snake,” Musk wrote in a post on X responding to the story.
The public feud between Musk and Trump began after Gor allegedly persuaded the president to rescind the nomination of Jared Isaacman to lead NASA prior to his confirmation by the Senate over his past donations to Democrats. Isaacman is a personal friend of SpaceX CEO Musk.
WHITE HOUSE REVIEWING SPACEX CONTRACTS AS TRUMP-MUSK SPAT LOSES STEAM: REPORT
After Isaacman’s nomination was pulled, Musk ramped up his criticism of the “one big, beautiful bill” that the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are hoping to advance, calling the tax cut and spending package a “disgusting abomination” over its deficit impact, undercutting the work of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Those criticisms and Musk’s calls for Congress to “kill the bill” escalated into a public war of words between Musk and Trump as the two traded personal barbs through interviews and over their respective social media platforms.
TRUMP REVEALS THE ‘SURPRISING’ MOMENT HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH MUSK BEGAN TO UNRAVEL
The feud has since de-escalated, as Musk expressed regret over his comments, saying they “went too far,” and Trump took a more conciliatory tone in subsequent interviews.
A White House official emphasized to FOX Business that President Trump made the final decision to pull Isaacman’s nomination and directed Gor to carry it out as part of his role as the director of the presidential personnel office.
HOW MUCH HAVE MUSK’S TESLA AND SPACEX BENEFITED FROM GOVERNMENT FUNDS?
The administration has also signaled support for Gor amid the public scrutiny.
Earlier this month, Trump said that Gor had done a “great job” during an event at the White House.
“Sergio is a vital member of the team, and he has helped President Trump put together an Administration that is second to none,” said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung amid the controversy over Gor’s alleged role in the feud between Trump and Musk.
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Legendary explorer’s ship finally discovered near idyllic New England town
Maritime experts believe they’ve finally pinpointed the exact resting place of Captain James Cook’s legendary ship – just off the coast of a beloved New England resort town.
A report about HMS Endeavour was published by the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) on June 3.
In 1778, the British intentionally sank the ship off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island, in a strategic move to block French and American attacks.
MYSTERIOUS 18TH-CENTURY WARSHIP UNEARTHED AT GROUND ZERO SITE GETS NEW HOME
While it has long been known that the 18th-century vessel lies off the coast of the Ocean State, its exact location has eluded marine historians.
But now experts are sure that a Rhode Island state archaeological site named RI 2394 is the final resting place of the ship – and they have decades of research to back it up.
Also known as the “Kerry” site, the shipwreck is between 39 and 43 feet underwater, the report says.
The site includes a “linear stone ballast pile, the eastern periphery of which features a line of partially exposed frame ends that are closely spaced and of substantial size,” according to the report.
OMINOUS LETTER WRITTEN BY ‘PROPHETIC’ TITANIC PASSENGER SELLS FOR SHOCKING SIX-FIGURE SUM AT AUCTION
“Four iron cannons are also present on the site,” the report continues. “Two are largely exposed above the seabed and lie immediately adjacent to one another on the western side of the site.”
The site also features remnants of floors, futtocks and a stanchion, which is a post that supported the ship’s deck beams.
“By 2019, careful surface investigation of all shipwrecks located within the Limited Study Area determined RI 2394 was the most likely candidate for [the] ex-HMS Endeavour,” the report said.
The site meets 10 criteria that experts previously agreed upon.
These include a lack of American timbers, a European elm keel, and evidence of hull repairs matching what is known about HMS Endeavour.
The ship also has scuttling holes to prove it was intentionally sunk, and overall possessed “architectural features matching those of Endeavour.”
The report concluded, “RI 2394 is the largest shipwreck site within the LSA and exhibits attributes that fulfill the criteria.”
“Consequently, the preponderance of evidence supports this shipwreck site’s identification as [HMS Endeavour] … and at the same time discounts any of the other investigated shipwreck sites as that of James Cook’s renowned ship of exploration.”
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The Endeavour holds great significance in Australian history as the first European vessel to reach the country’s eastern coast.
After the ship sailed the world, it was sold to a private citizen in Feb. 1775 and renamed “Lord Sandwich” before it was scuttled.
Marine archaeologists across the world are actively discovering countless numbers of shipwrecks per year.
Just last week, officials announced that they had discovered a 16th-century shipwreck at record depth in French waters.
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Off the coast of Ireland, underwater archaeologists recently found an 18th-century vessel that is believed to be a long-lost treasure ship.
Massive identity theft scheme led by illegal immigrants uncovered after raid
ICE has uncovered a massive identity theft scheme led by illegal immigrants and possibly tied to organized criminal networks following a workplace raid at a meatpacking plant in Omaha.
According to an ICE statement, approximately 70 illegal aliens working at the plant were discovered to be using stolen Social Security numbers and identities to unlawfully obtain employment authorization, wages and benefits at the expense of over 100 victims. The statement said that the victims have faced “devastating financial, emotional and legal consequences” as a result of the identity theft.
Working with other federal and state partners, ICE agents conducted a major workplace raid at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha on June 10. The raid resulted in over 70 illegal immigrants being arrested, which sparked protests both in the community and across the country.
While the arrests have sparked outrage from some in both the local community and nationally, ICE said the illegals’ identity theft proves they were not innocent, hardworking members of society, as some have suggested.
ICE OFFICERS ASSAULTED DURING RAID THAT NABBED 70 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AT MEAT PLANT: DHS
Another ICE representative told Fox News Digital that the illegal aliens who were apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods were behind the crime and that “some may have used organized criminal networks” to carry out the crime.
The representative said that the investigation is still ongoing and that the exact number of individuals impacted is still unknown.
The ICE spokesperson pointed to a few examples of those victimized by the apprehended illegals’ identity theft scheme.
The spokesperson said a disabled person in Texas, who was unable to work, struggled to get their Social Security disability payments because an illegal alien was fraudulently using their identity and earning wages at Glenn Valley Foods.
DEM SHREDDED FOR CALLING TO PUT ‘EVERY SINGLE’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ON A QUICK PATH TO CITIZENSHIP
Another victim in Colorado received a notice from the IRS to repay more than $5,000 after their income was falsely increased due to an illegal alien using their identity to work at the plant.
In Missouri, a full-time nursing student lost their college tuition assistance because it was fraudulently reported that they earned too much money due to an illegal alien at Glenn Valley Foods using their Social Security number.
Another person living in California has had to work for nearly 15 years to regain their identity and fix the financial damage done by an illegal who was working at Glenn Valley Foods, according to the spokesperson.
Mark Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City, which covers Omaha, said in a statement emailed to Fox News Digital that “the criminals who stole these identities didn’t just break the law, they upended lives.”
DHS ANNOUNCES ARREST OF MIGRANT SEX OFFENDER WHO DRAGGED ICE OFFICER WITH CAR
“There have been individuals who have gone on the record recently referring to the identity thieves we arrested last week as ‘good, hardworking, and honest,’” he said. “These so-called honest workers have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans. If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant, criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.”
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“These victims aren’t faceless statistics; they’re real people who are being denied healthcare and have lost educational opportunities,” added Zito.
US plans $8.5M fly-breeding facility as flesh-eating parasite nears border
The U.S. government announced plans Wednesday to build an $8.5 million fly-breeding facility near the US-Mexico border as part of an initiative to prevent a flesh-eating parasite from infesting cattle.
The planned site, slated to be located at Moore Air Base in Texas, will breed millions of sterile male New World screwworm flies. The males will then be released into the wild to mate with females, preventing them from laying eggs that turn into flesh-eating larvae, the Associated Press reported.
A female New World screwworm fly lays eggs in the wound of an animal. The eggs then hatch into larvae, or maggots, that burrow into the flesh, causing potentially deadly damage, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
FLESH-EATING NEW WORLD SCREWWORM COULD POSE HEALTH RISKS TO CATTLE, HUMANS
The Texas facility would be only the second of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, AP reported.
Recent appearances of the fly in Mexico — as close as 700 miles from the Southern border — have raised concerns among officials. Last month, authorities responded by suspending cattle, horse and bison imports along the US-Mexico border, according to a news release from the USDA.
US SHUTS SOUTHERN BORDER TO LIVESTOCK IMPORTS TO STOP SPREAD OF DEADLY FLIES
Taking further measures, the USDA said it may also create a companion breeding center at the Texas location so that as many as 300 million flies could be produced each week. The executive department also plans to spend $21 million to convert a separate facility near Mexico’s border with Guatemala into one for breeding for the fly. That site won’t be ready until the end of 2026, according to AP.
“The United States has defeated [New World screwworm] before, and we will do it again,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement. “We do not take lightly the threat [New World screwworm] poses to our livestock industry, our economy and our food supply chain.”
USDA THREATENS TO HALT MEXICAN BEEF IMPORTS OVER FLESH-EATING FLY CRISIS
The U.S. has previously bred and released New World screwworm flies into the wild, completely eradicating the insect from the country for decades. While there are treatments for infestations of the fly, officials worry about the economic impacts on farmers. Household pets and humans can also be infested by the larvae, AP reported.
New World screwworm flies are endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and some South American countries, according to the USDA.
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“We trust the enthusiasm for cooperation that Secretary Rollins mentioned, and based on objective results and the reports from the USDA mission visiting us this week, we will be able to restart exports of our cattle as soon as possible,” Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué said in a post on X on Wednesday.
The USDA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.