This comes amid a routine traffic stop in Florence, Texas, revealing 3 stolen steer with slit throats.
FLORENCE, Texas — A routine traffic stop in Williamson County led to the discovery of three slaughtered steers– pointing to a bigger issue across Central Texas.
The incident occurred at the intersection of 487 and 195, when an officer pulled over a trailer with non-functioning lights. Inside, authorities found three steers, each weighing between 600 and 700 pounds, with their throats cut. An arrest was made and an investigation into livestock theft is now underway.
Constable Chris Bazar of Bell County Precinct 2, who has 15 years of experience as a meat producer and processor, says this wasn’t an isolated incident. Just recently in Holland, Texas, 9 ewes were stolen, and Bazar says similar thefts have been reported in Milam County and other areas across the region.
“From what we saw in this, they definitely knew how to harvest that animal to where it was going to be utilized for meat purposes,” he said. “If you know what you’re doing and you can lure animals to a fence like that, and you’re tooled for it as these individuals were, you can be in and out in less than 5 minutes.”
The method used in this case suggests professional knowledge. The animals’ throats were cut in a specific manner, which drains all blood from the animal to prevent the meat from becoming tainted.
Both the Williamson County and Bell County Sheriff’s Offices are investigating, along with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Rangers Association.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says high grocery prices may be fueling the illegal activity. Each steer is worth over $2,000, meaning the three animals represented roughly $6,000 to $7,000 in stolen livestock. Once butchered and sold on the black market, the meat could fetch around $10,000.
“If you bought any beef lately, you’ll know what’s going on,” he said. “The fact that the animals were dead indicates they were going to butcher them and resell the meat. They’re going to get a premium instead of just stealing the cattle and selling them.”
Constable Bazar emphasizes that this stolen meat is being distributed without safety inspections, creating risks for consumers and unfair competition for legitimate businesses. He believes the stolen meat is being sold under the radar, potentially to restaurants that may not be carefully vetting their suppliers. Bazar notes that the meat won’t appear in grocery stores or farmers’ markets, but quantifying how restaurants obtain their product remains difficult to regulate.
Commissioner Miller expressed skepticism about the scale of the black market, but emphasized that cattle theft is an issue across the state.
“You know, hopefully this is an isolated incidence, I don’t know that there’s a big black market out there,” he said. “I mean, how do you market stolen beef that that’s been processed? That’s, I don’t know any restaurant that would want to. A chance of making their customers sick.”
How Farmers Can Protect Their Livestock
- Ensure all animals have proper markings and identification tags
- Don’t feed cattle in corrals near public roads or highways
- Install cattle sirens instead of using truck alarms
- Keep gates locked at all times
- Communicate regularly with neighbors about suspicious activity
- Document any unusual vehicle activity with photos of license plates
