APHIS Establishes a Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Area in Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION 
DA-2026-12 
April 6, 2026

Subject: APHIS Establishes a Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine Area in Texas 

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On March 19, 2026, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantine, in Zapata, Zapata County, Texas, designated the Zapata quarantine.

APHIS and TDA established the Zapata quarantine in response to the detection on March 11 of a wild mated female Mexfly from a trap in a sweet orange tree on a residential property in Zapata. The quarantine encompasses approximately 55 square miles and contains no commercial agriculture.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with TDA to eradicate the transient Mexfly populations following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website contains descriptions and maps of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.

For additional information you may contact:

Catherine Marzolf 
National Policy Manager 
386-666-9932 
catherine.a.marzolf@usda.gov

Glorimar Marrero 
Assistant National Policy Manager 
240-577-4633 
glorimar.marrero@usda.gov

/s/

Matthew A. Rhoads 
Deputy Administrator 
Plant Protection and Quarantine