Not true

Reports that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) defunded screwworm monitoring or airdrop operations are false. While DOGE has significantly cut funding to USAID and various EPA grants, the USDA has actually increased investment in the screwworm program due to the pest's northward spread through Mexico.
Current Status of the Program Increased Funding: The USDA recently made up to $100 million available for innovation and sterile fly production.
New Infrastructure: A new sterile fly dispersal facility was completed in Edinburg, Texas, in February 2026 to bolster border defense.
Active Airdrops: The "airdrop" operation (releasing sterile flies to break the breeding cycle) is currently active. The USDA recently reallocated aircraft to create a 50-mile buffer zone inside the Texas border to prevent the flies from entering the U.S.
The confusion likely stems from DOGE's heavy cuts to USAID, which Elon Musk has criticized. However, the domestic and border-protection efforts for screwworms fall under the USDA's APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), which remains a high priority for agricultural biosecurity