Miami-Dade police arrested Luis Miguel Cordero, 18, in a field near Okeechobee Road on Sept. 15, after his neighbor tipped them off that Cordero had offered him $2,000 if he would help kill two horses. Cordero was carrying a duffle bag stuffed with garbage bags, rope, tools and a butcher knife. He is now being held without bail at the Miami-Dade County jail, and faces multiple charges including conspiracy to commit animal cruelty with intent in injure or kill, armed burglary and killing of a registered breed horse, according to The Miami Herald. His arrest comes as a relief to South Florida’s equestrian community. There have been more than 17 horse killings this year in Miami-Dade County since January, with two more cases in Broward County. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officials believe the horses were victims of a black-market demand for horse meat, which can be sold for $40 per pound. Cordero has since confessed to killing a racehorse at a ranch in Miami Garden on Sept. 9. He talked to his neighbor about committing another horse killing, and the neighbor contacted Crime Stoppers before playing along. He met with Hialeah police detectives, and they wired him and placed a tracking device on his vehicle. Crime Stoppers has been offering $15,000 and the Humane Society of the United States another $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in the cases. However, police believe that Cordero’s alleged plot to kill horses was isolated, and they are urging horse-owners to remains alert. Investigations into the previous killings are remaining open.
