Elon Musk lays off 6,000 in March and now US faces massive influx of invasive species (2025)

Impulsive ideas sometimes have consequences. What began as a supposed revolution in government efficiency has unleashed an unprecedented crisis in U.S. food security. The elimination of 6,000 jobs at the Department of Agriculture in March, as part of a restructuring driven by Elon Musk and his controversial DOGE office (Department of Government Optimization and Efficiency), has generated a wave of consequences that are already being felt in the country’s ports, fields, and supermarkets.

According to a recent report by Wired, decisions by DOGE—an entity created with the promise of modernizing government through high-intensity business practices—have severely weakened key sectors of the state apparatus. Those affected include plant health inspectors, biologists, and sniffer dog trainers, all of whom are critical to agricultural pest and disease protection.

Musk himself revealed weeks ago that his team works 120 hours a week, a pace that, while intended to be an example of efficiency, has led to a series of erratic decisions: mass layoffs, classified communication errors and inflated figures of supposed government “savings” of almost 8 billion dollars.

The agricultural inspection: collapsed

The effects of the cuts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are already palpable. Key ports like Los Angeles and Miami have seen reductions of 35% in quarantine staff and up to 60% in agricultural contraband detection equipment. This has turned inspections into a chaotic process, generating delays, loss of perishable products and higher prices in supermarkets.

Derek Copeland, former trainer at the National Center for Detection Dogs, warned about the current inability to contain threats such as the giant African snail or the Asian long-horned beetle, invasive species that could wipe out crops and entire ecosystems.

The paralysis in phytosanitary controls also affects international trade. Mike Lahar, manager of regulatory affairs at the customs brokerage firm Deringer, warned that a lack of rigorous inspections could allow the entry of devastating pests with catastrophic effects not only on agriculture but also on the national economy.

This is one of the first impacts of Musk’s decisions. But they won’t be the only ones. The tariff’s war carried out by Trump against China this week will cause a new blow to American ports, which are currently experiencing a particularly tense situation, due to the chaos of imports and their impact on the economy.

Incompetence or covert privatization?

According to experts consulted by Wired, this disaster in the United States can be explained by two hypotheses. The first: DOGE seeks to dismantle the State to make way for the privatization of strategic sectors. The second: a mix of arrogance and ignorance —a “Silicon Valley mentality” that underestimates the complexity of government operations. “Elon Musk may be a technological genius, but running the State is not the same as launching rockets or selling electric cars,” concludes Kit Johnson, a commercial compliance expert, for the aforementioned outlet.

With the global supply chain still affected by pandemics, conflicts, and climate crises, the removal of plant protection barriers could push the United States toward an unprecedented agricultural crisis. One that would hit rural communities and small businesses the hardest.

If this trend isn’t reversed, the country could face shortages, food inflation, and irreparable damage to its agricultural security. And all this under the leadership of an office that, ironically, promised efficiency.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.