Miami-Dade County authorities are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information that helps capture those responsible for killing and dismembering two horses that were stolen from a farm located on Southwest 168th Street and 207th Avenue.
Baby Doll (6 years old) and Muñeco (10 years old) were stolen on January 3 from a residential property in the rural area of Redland, in Miami-Dade. It is presumed that the animals were slaughtered for human consumption.
According to authorities, the criminals entered a farm near west Krome Avenue during the early morning hours, stole the two horses, then took them to a vacant lot and mutilated them.
The bodies of the two horses, mutilated and dismembered, were found just meters from the property, in a rural area in the 20600 block of 168th Street in southwest Miami-Dade.
“I would like people who are buying this horse meat to be aware of where that meat is coming from”said Martha Insignares, owner of the slaughtered horses, in statements to America Camel.
The Miami-Dade Agricultural Investigation Unit continues with the investigations.
Investigators urge the community that if they have seen anything related to horse slaughter or if they know someone selling horse meat, to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
In previous statements to the local press Martha Insignares, who has lived in the area for 25 years, said that she believed that the criminals were watching the area before robbing them.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, there are no licensed horse meat slaughterhouses in the country.
It is a crime to transport, distribute, sell, purchase or possess horse meat that is not clearly marked and described as horse meat for human consumption.
Illegal slaughter of horses is a third degree crime in Florida. The sentence can be one year in prison and a fine of $3,500.
Florida prohibits anyone from selling horse meat for human consumption in the state’s markets unless the horse meat is clearly stamped, marked and described as horse meat for human consumption.
However, complaints from animal rights activists about the discovery of dismembered horse remains in Miami-Dade County and other areas of South Florida are frequent.
In recent years there have been several reports of horses being illegally slaughtered to sell their meat in Florida.
In mid-December, Cuban Alain Arencibia Díaz, 39, living in Miami Lakes, was arrested after selling meat from an illegally slaughtered horse to an undercover informant.
In that case, detectives organized a sale for an informant to buy 40 pounds of horse meat for $500, after receiving an anonymous tip. The Cuban faced a charge of buying, selling or possessing horse meat, considered a third-degree felony.
In August, the non-profit organization Animal Recovery Mission (ARM), dedicated to the protection of animals, even offered a reward of $25,000 for clues leading to the arrest of those responsible for the theft of two mares from a farm in the county. from Broward.
