Investigators believe horse was going to be butchered for its meat

Animal Recovery Mission suspects illegal horse slaughtering in Miami-Dade

Crop of photo - Courtesy of Richard Cuoto

MIAMI-DADE, Fla. ā€“ Animal Recovery Mission investigators responded to reports of horse abuse Saturday afternoon.Ā 

ARM investigator Richard "Kudo" Couto said he suspected there was evidence that a horse was likely going to be illegally slaughtered.Ā 

Recommended Videos



Gruesome photos showed a horse after someone dragged the animal down a dirt road "to be butchered for its meat," CoutoĀ wrote on Facebook.Ā 

There is a demand for horse meat in South Florida, where there is a community of immigrants from countries like Mexico and Cuba where the killing of horses for consumption is not illegal or taboo.Ā 

In the black market, Miami-Dade detectives believe horse meat is sold for about $7 a pound at illegal slaughterhouses.Ā 

Late last year, Miami-Dade prosecutors charged Manuel Coto-Martinez, 70, with unlawful sale of horse meat, after an undercover detective bought 20 punds of horse meet from him for $140.Ā 

Local 10 News' Nicole Alvarez contributed to this report.Ā 


About the Author:

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.