APHIS Removes Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) Quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION 
DA-2026-26 
August 11, 2026

Subject: APHIS Removes Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) Quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California

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 California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is removing the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, designated the Santa Clara quarantine. This action releases 241 square miles from quarantine, including 58.76 acres of commercial agriculture.

APHIS originally restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles from this area to prevent the spread of Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States. APHIS and CDFA have now successfully eradicated this transient Medfly 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

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

/s/

Matthew A. Rhoads 
Deputy Administrator 
Plant Protection and Quarantine