{"id":2649222,"date":"2026-08-25T09:01:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T13:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigncartels-are-exploiting-mexicos-cattle-trade-as-americans-pay-more-for-beef\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T12:05:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T16:05:29","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigncartels-are-exploiting-mexicos-cattle-trade-as-americans-pay-more-for-beef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigncartels-are-exploiting-mexicos-cattle-trade-as-americans-pay-more-for-beef\/","title":{"rendered":"Cartels Are Exploiting Mexico\u2019s Cattle Trade At Cost To U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigncartels-are-exploiting-mexicos-cattle-trade-as-americans-pay-more-for-beef%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2649222&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The United states has begun reopening its southern border to Mexican cattle after closures caused by New World Screwworm outbreaks, starting with Douglas, Arizona. Although Sonora and Chihuahua traditionally export over 60% of Mexico\u2019s live cattle to the U.S.,recent cases of screwworm and underlying issues in Mexico\u2019s livestock system-such as cartel control,corruption,and smuggling-pose biosecurity risks. Mexican criminal organizations, notably the CJNG cartel, have infiltrated cattle operations, extorting ranchers, controlling sales, and using falsified documents and black-market tags to smuggle cattle into Mexico\u2019s legitimate trade, complicating efforts to regulate and secure the market. <\/p>\n<p>Despite efforts like new U.S. border measures and penalties on criminal networks,the problem lies upstream,with criminal influence affecting cattle entry,documentation,and movement long before reaching U.S. inspection points. Experts advocate for enhanced interagency intelligence sharing and targeting illicit networks beyond border security. <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the U.S. cattle herd has substantially shrunk-down from 94.7 million in 2019 to around 86.2 million in 2026-leading to higher beef prices with record costs for ground beef and steaks. While reestablishing Mexican cattle imports can definitely help fill supply gaps, it\u2019s unlikely to lower prices soon, as most imports are feed cattle needing months to reach market. To rebuild American cattle inventories, consumers are encouraged to buy locally, support independent producers, and prioritize food security from domestic sources, emphasizing that agriculture must be integrated into efforts to combat cartel influence and secure trade systems.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2026\/07\/24\/usda-announces-phased-reopening-southern-ports-livestock-trade\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">This week<\/a>, the United States began reopening its southern border to Mexican cattle after New World Screwworm forced the U.S. Department of Agriculture to close livestock ports along the border. Douglas, Arizona, reopened first, across from Agua Prieta, Sonora.<\/p>\n<p>Sonora and neighboring Chihuahua have historically accounted for <a href=\"https:\/\/diariodelyaqui.mx\/sonora\/sonora-o-chihuahua-uno-de-estos-estados-ocupa-el-primer-lugar-en-exportar-ganado-a-eu\/77597\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than 60 percent of Mexico\u2019s live-cattle exports<\/a> to the United States. The USDA also identified both states as the lowest-risk places to begin the phased reopening. Douglas serves the Sonora trade, while Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico, which serve Chihuahua, remain closed while the USDA evaluates whether to reopen them next.<\/p>\n<p>But conditions in those states changed before Douglas reopened. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/mexico-boosts-sterile-fly-dispersal-us-reopens-cattle-trade-2026-08-24\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sonora has now<\/a> confirmed two New World Screwworm cases, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/mexico-boosts-sterile-fly-dispersal-us-reopens-cattle-trade-2026-08-24\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chihuahua had recorded 183<\/a> since July by the day the port reopened.<\/p>\n<p>These cases in Sonora and Chihuahua raise an immediate biosecurity question, but the deeper problem is the livestock system itself.<\/p>\n<p>Mexican cartels have worked their way into Mexico\u2019s cattle business, extorting ranchers, controlling sales, and corrupting the records and documents used to move cattle legally.<\/p>\n<p>The USDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2026\/08\/11\/secretary-rollins-visits-moore-air-base-announce-new-memorandum-understanding-between-usda-and-dhs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimates roughly 800,000<\/a> cattle are smuggled from Central America into Mexico each year, creating an illicit market worth <a href=\"https:\/\/hpj.com\/2026\/07\/31\/narco-ranching-how-organized-crime-is-targeting-agriculture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">about $320 million<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2026\/08\/11\/secretary-rollins-visits-moore-air-base-announce-new-memorandum-understanding-between-usda-and-dhs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">On Aug. 11<\/a>, the USDA and the Department of Homeland Security announced a new agreement to detect and interdict illicit livestock movement at and between ports of entry. But the vulnerability begins long before an animal reaches the border.<\/p>\n<p>Traffickers use falsified paperwork and <a href=\"https:\/\/insightcrime.org\/investigations\/black-market-ear-tags-contraband-cattle-central-america-mexico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">black-market identification tags<\/a> to move smuggled animals into legitimate Mexican commerce. Once an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >illegal animal acquires official documents<\/a> and identification, it becomes far harder to distinguish from cattle that entered the system lawfully.<\/p>\n<p>Ranchers who follow the rules are then forced to compete against operators who do not.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Cartel Control<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Northern Jalisco\u2019s brucellosis- and tuberculosis-free status made the region eligible to export cattle to the United States, giving cartel control of the local cattle trade consequences far beyond the region itself. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eleconomista.com.mx\/politica\/El-cartel-captura-las-rentas-de-ganado-de-exportacion-del-norte-de-Jalisco-20221201-0032.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Across roughly 10 municipalities<\/a> producing about 100,000 export-bound cattle a year, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, installed regional collectors, dictated whom ranchers could sell to, and extracted roughly five pesos per kilogram from transactions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eleconomista.com.mx\/politica\/Los-senores-del-ganado-y-la-plata-la-expansion-del-CJNG-en-el-norte-de-Jalisco-20230819-0024.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Through compromised local officials<\/a>, CJNG gained access to the records of Mexico\u2019s agricultural health agency and national livestock identification system.<\/p>\n<p>CJNG enforced their control with threats and violence. CJNG forced rancher V\u00edctor Ponce R\u00edos to serve as a cattle collector in the Huej\u00facar area and later <a href=\"https:\/\/elpais.com\/mexico\/actualidad\/2023-08-09\/el-destino-de-los-ponce-tres-generaciones-marcadas-por-la-violencia-en-mexico.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">demanded 2 million pesos<\/a> in <em>derecho de piso<\/em>, an extortion payment tied to operating under cartel control. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eleconomista.com.mx\/politica\/Los-senores-del-ganado-y-la-plata-la-expansion-del-CJNG-en-el-norte-de-Jalisco-20230819-0024.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">In May 2023<\/a>, he was kidnapped and up to 150 of his cattle were stolen. His body was found the following month. Investigators documented that the cattle were moved using paperwork and transit guides issued through the local livestock association.<\/p>\n<p>That is why inspection at the U.S. border cannot be the only line of defense. By the time an animal reaches an American inspection chute, the corruption may have happened hundreds of miles earlier.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Treasury\u2019s response reflects the broader criminal economy CJNG has built around its drug-trafficking enterprise. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hklaw.com\/en\/insights\/publications\/2026\/08\/ofacs-largest-ever-cjng-sanctions-raise-the-stakes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">On July 23<\/a>, Treasury carried out its largest sanctions action against CJNG to date, designating more than 50 individuals and entities tied to the cartel\u2019s leadership, trafficking operations, finances, and businesses, including agricultural companies.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. has seen that Mexico will take action to protect access to American markets. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-halts-avocado-export-inspections-mexicos-michoacan-over-security-alert-2026-08-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">On Aug. 5<\/a>, the United States suspended avocado-export inspections in Michoac\u00e1n after a security alert. <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.fas.usda.gov\/newgainapi\/api\/Report\/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Avocado%20Annual_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2026-0019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nearly 90 percent<\/a> of Mexico\u2019s avocado exports by volume go to the American market. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/mexico-deploys-1500-troops-avocado-hub-bid-resume-us-exports-2026-08-06\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Within roughly 24 hours<\/a>, Mexico deployed 1,557 Army and National Guard personnel into key producing areas. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/us-fully-restarts-activities-mexicos-avocado-hub-after-security-concerns-2026-08-13\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inspections resumed on Aug. 13<\/a> after additional security measures were put in place. The deployment did not break cartel control of the industry, but it showed how quickly Mexico can act when market access is at risk.<\/p>\n<p>That same leverage should apply to livestock as cattle trade with Mexico resumes.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklahomafarmreport.com\/2026\/08\/14\/usda-plans-phased-reopening-of-mexican-cattle-imports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USDA has said<\/a> the schedule remains flexible and that port openings may be paused if risk increases in either state.<\/p>\n<p>Inspecting cattle near the end of the route will not solve the problem if cartels still influence how animals enter the system, how they are documented, and where they can move.<\/p>\n<p>A better approach is for the USDA, DHS, and law enforcement to feed livestock, transportation, traceability, and criminal intelligence into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.northcom.mil\/Newsroom\/News\/Article\/Article\/4381245\/joint-interagency-task-force-counter-cartel-jiatf-cc-established\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Northern Command\u2019s Joint Interagency Task Force\u2013Counter Cartel<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2026\/03\/commitment-to-countering-cartel-criminal-activity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Americas Counter Cartel Coalition<\/a> can reinforce that effort by targeting the brokers, haulers, document fraud, and financial networks that move illicit cattle north.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Shrinking Cattle Herd<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>But enforcement alone will not solve the problem. America also needs to rebuild its cattle herd.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/data.nass.usda.gov\/Newsroom\/2026\/01-30-2026.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USDA counted<\/a> 86.2 million cattle and calves at the start of 2026, down from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/topics\/animal-products\/cattle-beef\/sector-at-a-glance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">94.7 million<\/a> in 2019. The country has lost roughly 8.5 million head in seven years, leaving the national herd near levels not seen since the early 1950s.<\/p>\n<p>Americans are paying more for beef as the U.S. cattle herd continues to shrink. <a href=\"https:\/\/fred.stlouisfed.org\/series\/APU0000703112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ground beef averaged<\/a> $6.89 per pound in July, nearly 57 percent higher than in July 2021 and about 10 percent higher than a year earlier. <a href=\"https:\/\/fred.stlouisfed.org\/release\/tables?eid=816251&#038;rid=454\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steak reached<\/a> a record $13.06 per pound.<\/p>\n<p>Reopening the Mexican cattle trade is unlikely to change that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/best-states\/texas\/articles\/2026-08-24\/economists-dont-expect-reopening-the-us-to-mexican-cattle-imports-to-reduce-high-beef-prices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anytime soon<\/a>. Mexico historically supplies about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drovers.com\/news\/ag-policy\/1-1-million-head-gap-analyzing-impact-u-s-mexico-border-closure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1.1 million cattle a year<\/a>, roughly 3 percent of the U.S. cattle supply, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklahomafarmreport.com\/2026\/08\/24\/cow-calf-corner-dr-derrell-peel-what-to-expect-from-mexican-cattle-imports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">agricultural economists expect<\/a> the phased reopening to take months before imports approach normal levels. Most of those animals are feeder cattle that will require additional months of production before reaching the beef supply.<\/p>\n<p>Imports can fill gaps, but they should not become a substitute for rebuilding American cattle inventories.<\/p>\n<p>Buy beef from a local rancher when you can. Support independent processors and retailers that can tell you where the animal was raised. Put more of your food dollars into the ranches, truckers, feed suppliers, and rural communities that produce American cattle. <a href=\"https:\/\/sookenewsmirror.com\/2014\/07\/30\/shake-the-hand-that-feeds-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shake the hands that feed you.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cartels have already penetrated livestock markets, corrupted records, extorted producers, and exploited cross-border commerce. Agriculture belongs inside the counter cartel fight. Security must be a condition of trade.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Ammon Blair is a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US reopens border to Mexican cattle amid cartel and biosecurity risks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4165,"featured_media":2649223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5471844710_8f28b118b7_k-e1787576084535.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[33709,13819,84627,36244,5370],"class_list":["post-2649222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-border-security","tag-cartels","tag-cattle-trade","tag-drug-trafficking","tag-mexico"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5471844710_8f28b118b7_k-e1787576084535.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4165"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2649222"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2649304,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649222\/revisions\/2649304"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2649223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2649222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2649222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2649222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}