Horses Allegedly Used to Launder Zetas Money Sold at Auction

More than 300 horses allegedly used to launder proceeds of a Mexican drug cartel were sold at auction for about $8.8 million, prosecutors said. Two-thirds of the horses were sold this past weekend, including A Dash of Sweet Heat for $1 million, at Heritage Place Auction Facility in Oklahoma City, according to a statement (pdf). About 100 broodmares were sold for $35,000 prior to auction, the statement said. The horses were part of an indictment handed up against 15 individuals in connection with an alleged scheme by the Zetas cartel to launder part of their money through the purchase, training, racing and breeding of American quarter horses. Prosecutors seized the horses in the wake of the indictment, and sold many of them over the weekend. The proceeds from the sale of the quarter horses will be held in escrow pending a forfeiture action, the statement said. The government still holds about 45 quarter horses, prosecutors said, including Tempting Dash, winner of the Dash for Cash at Lone Star Park race track in Grand Prairie, Texas and Mr. Piloto, the $1 million All American Futurity winner at Ruidoso Downs...more