In the first quarter of 2013, ARM drove by a previously shut down illegal animal slaughter property in Area 97 owned by father daughter duo, Julio and Naomi. Here investigators encountered a sign leading customers to a new location, the address and phone numbers included.

ARM operatives began investigations on this new site, located at 18270 NW 137th Avenue, in unincorporated Miami Dade County which is a protected wetlands area known as the C-9 basin. ARM had investigated the C-9 basin years before, and stemming from that investigation, had the area struck by county, state, and federal agencies January 2010. It was the largest investigation and strike of this kind in the history of the United States.

This was a huge success, however as time went on, farmers began to repopulate and, although on a much lesser scale, illegal slaughter and animal fighting operations began to reestablish in that zone.

The C-9 basin is considered a buffer zone to the Florida Everglades, and is a highly protected environmental wetlands area. The site that Julio and Naomi were operating on was land leased from Okeechobee 137 LLC and is zoned to remain vacant, raw land. There should not be a single structure on the property, yet Julio and Naomi simply rebuilt and recreated the same operation from Area 97 to this new location in the C-9 basin.

The property that Julio and Naomi now occupied had been previously cited in 2011 when a different illegal slaughter operation had been found violating environmental and zoning ordinances. It was cited for unsafe structures, operating a business without a license, stealing electricity, environmental violations, and unsanitary nuisance ordinances. Clearly none of these landowners adhere to state and county laws. Simply wanting to make a profit, they turn their eyes away from the issues occurring on their property.

In November of 2013, county officials from the building and zoning department of Miami Dade inspected the operation, found multiple infractions and issued the father daughter owners citations on December 6, 2013.

In July 2013, ARM began long-range surveillance on the property. Investigators learned the farm is open on the weekends and holidays, and operated by Naomi, her daughter, and Julio as well. There were 4 Cuban men and 2 Cuban women

on site at the time ARM operatives went undercover, ranging in age from 30 to 65. Customers are invited to watch the selection of animals and the killing process.

On Christmas Eve day, December 24, 2013 at 11:30am investigators went into the property as customers to buy pigs as evidence of inhumane slaughter. The operatives witnessed approximately 60 pigs living on the site illegally. Miami dade’s law forbids no more than 2 pigs on any property. After ARM operatives expressed interest in purchasing a pig, the farmers grabbed one from a large holding area, brought it into a 4×4 pen, stunned it with high voltage electricity, stabbed a foot long blade into the pigs neck and watched it suffer and bleed out.

The pig thrashed around consumed with pain, then once exhausted from fighting, lay there with in and out movements. Without being pronounced dead, and still moving the pig is then butchered alive. Once dead, the pig was dragged to a scale, and put into a big tub of boiling water to be washed, and de-haired. ARM operatives paid for the pig, making it clear this was meat for human consumption and the meat was placed in an undercover ARM vehicle.

ARM met with undercover agents from the USDA and handed over evidence that this farm his highly illegal, extremely inhumane to animals, unsafe, unsanitary, and unethical. Federal charges were made against the farm owners. The operation was then completely torn down and no more business to be made. Julio and Naomi left and started a fruit selling company.