With the presence of a deadly, flesh-eating parasite in the U.S. growing greater by the day, federal and Texas officials are taking serious steps to stop a potential invasion and protect the country's livestock.

Mounted patrol officers, known as tick riders, who typically patrol the southern border to protect cattle from fever tick, will also now serve as the first line of defense against screwworm.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend up to $750 million to build a sterile fly production facility in Texas to fight the flesh-eating livestock pest New World screwworm, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Friday.