APHIS Removes Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Hidalgo County, Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION 
DA-2026-32 
September 1, 2026

Subject: APHIS Removes Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Hidalgo County, Texas 

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective immediately, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), is removing the Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantine in Hildalgo County, designated the Peñitas-Granjeno quarantine. This action releases 58.66 square miles from quarantine, including 45.03 acres of commercial citrus.

APHIS originally established the quarantine, restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from this area, to prevent Mexfly from spreading to other areas of the United States. APHIS and TDA have now successfully eradicated this transient Mexfly population using approved program control methods.

You can find maps and descriptions of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas on the APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies webpage. APHIS will also publish a notice about this change in the Federal Register.

For more information, contact:

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

/s/

Matthew A. Rhoads 
Deputy Administrator 
Plant Protection and Quarantine