An organization called Animal Recovery Mission issued a news release stating that the activity is a raid on three animal slaughter farms and horse meat operations.
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The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, along with members of the non-profit animal investigations organization, Animal Recovery Mission, raided Rancho Garcia, G.A. Paso Fino and Medina Farm.
All six of those arrested are linked to Loxahatchee farms accused of slaughtering horses to sell their meat, along with other acts of animal abuse. Garcia purchases his horses from animal auctions and Craigslist and has allegedly been butchering them and other animals on his property for decades, according to ARM.
The animal welfare group’s lead investigator, Richard Couto, said they turned written reports and video over to law enforcement last month. These farms, authorities say, have been involved in selling horse meat, which is illegal.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is part of an Agricultural Task Force and says it took part in today’s investigation at the request of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
ARM said their undercover footage of Garcia and his employees shows them selling large amounts of horse meat, violently stabbing pigs in the heart and boiling them alive, slitting throats of goats and rams before hoisted them by their hind legs and then skinning them alive.
The Sheriff’s Office hasn’t provided additional information.
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The charges include possession of horsemeat and cruelty to animals. The animals are being seized and placed in Animal Recovery Mission’s care.
