APHIS Removes Sapote Fruit Fly (Anastrepha serpentina) Quarantines in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, Texas

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION 
DA-2026-27 
August 11, 2026

Subject: APHIS Removes Sapote Fruit Fly (Anastrepha serpentina) Quarantines in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, 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 sapote fruit fly (Anastrepha serpentina) quarantines in Cameron and Hildalgo Counties, Texas. This includes the Harlingen and Rio Hondo quarantined areas in Cameron County, and the Alamo quarantined area in Hidalgo County. This action releases a total of 212.64 square miles from quarantine, including 1,138.61 acres of commercial citrus.

APHIS originally restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles from these areas to prevent the spread of sapote fruit fly to non-infested areas of the United States. APHIS and TDA have now successfully eradicated these transient sapote fruit fly populations 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

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

/s/

Matthew A. Rhoads 
Deputy Administrator 
Plant Protection and Quarantine