Five alleged cattle rustlers were apprehended in Texas Friday following a lengthy investigation that began in December.
The suspects are accused of stealing and slaughtering around 70 head of cattle in Williamson County, where they are currently being held in jail, Fox 7 reported Sunday.
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The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office identified the men accused of involvement in the organized livestock theft operation as 50-year-old Ramon Martinez Miranda, 58-year-old Miguel Martinez Mons, 42-year-old Orleydis Martin Reyes, 34-year-old Yasmani Galis-Hernandez, and 41-year-old Reidel Martinez in a social media post on Friday.
“All five individuals have been charged with theft of livestock between $30,000 and $150,000, a third-degree felony under Texas Penal Code 31.03,” the article states:
Investigators discovered “multiple crime scenes” where someone had cut the pasture fence “in a consistent manner to facilitate the theft of livestock.” They also discovered ammunition, animal processing tools, and images of stolen and slaughtered livestock on the suspect’s phone.
The sheriff’s office commended the Florence Police Department; Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Rangers; and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Game Wardens for their assistance with the ongoing investigation.
“This case highlights the dedication of our investigators and the strong collaboration between agencies to combat organized agricultural crime,” Williamson County Sheriff Matt Lindemann noted. “Livestock theft has a significant financial impact on our agricultural community, and we remain committed to holding offenders accountable.”
In 2015, TSCRA Special Ranger Sonny Seewald stated that, while some believed cattle rustling was a thing of the past, this was not the case.
“It pays better now than it did back then.” The thieves will now receive the same price for the cattle as the owner,” he stated. “They’ll run it through the sale barn here and earn the same amount. A regular thief will make 10 cents on the dollar for anything he steals in town, so they can’t afford not to steal (cattle).”
When asked how the cattle rustlers worked, he responded, “They’ll hunt for a site where no one lives and animals are on the land, and they’ll watch; learn the pattern; and make sure no one is coming. They’ll cut the fence, come inside, and shake a sack of cubes. Cattle are accustomed to coming to that meal. They’ll use their own pens, back up, load ’em, and leave.”
According to the Texas State Historical Association’s (TSHA) website, cattle rustlers frequently targeted Texas’ early immigrants.
“Most rustlers of the open-range era were cowboys who had deviated into questionable practices. They knew the cattle region and were skilled at roping, branding, and tracking. The site states that all one needed to do was buy a few cows, register a brand, and start branding wandering cattle. Following the transition from the open range to fenced ranches, rustling gradually was lessened by efforts of local officers, the Texas Rangers, and inspectors of cattlemen’s associations, who checked brands as cattle were sold at livestock markets.”
