Socorro Export Pens, Socorro, TX 2/21/13

The Socorro export pens are operated by the Texas Department of Agriculture. From here, horses are shipped to Mexican horse slaughter plants. The main supplier to these pens is the Beltex Corporation, which ships the horses from their Frontier Meats feedlot in Morton, TX. Upon arrival, investigators noted that a Tres Trucking semi with a single deck trailer was parked in front of the closed pens. The horses inside the trailer appeared very agitated and were observed fighting. A closer look revealed that there were over 30 horses inside the trailer, segregated only by two dividers. 10 minutes later, the export pen gate opened, the truck entered and backed up to the loading ramp. Unloading started almost immediately, all horses walked off the trailer without problems. However, several were thin. Once unloaded, the horses started to search the pens for food. No hay was provided to them. According to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s website, the export pens charge $5.00 per horse/day. This fee does not include hay. However, USDA regulations for the protection of slaughter horses demand that the horses have access to food, water and rest for 6 consecutive hours prior to transport. Animals’ Angels has provided this information to our European Allies, where it will be used to inform consumers about the plight of the horses that are slaughtered for the European market.