Three of the eight men arrested following the shutdown of three illegal slaughter farms in Loxahatchee, Fla., on Oct. 13 have pled guilty to charges related to the case.

The raid, led by Palm Beach County and Lee County sheriff’s deputies was made in response to evidence collected by the Animal Recovery Mission, a non-profit investigative organization dedicated to fighting animal cruelty.

Richard Couto, founder of ARM, spent six months gathering evidence to present to authorities regarding the practices at Rancho Garcia, G.A. Paso Fino and Medina Farm. Authorities previously called the raid the “largest raid against animal cruelty in the history of the United States,” with 750 animals seized and taken to the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.

“I’ve never witnessed a raid of this magnitude,” said Couto. “There was an organized tactical strike with nine SWAT teams, special weapons teams and bomb squads. Right there that is telling you how serious the elected sheriff [of Palm Beach County], Ric Bradshaw, took this. He made all the right moves. That guy is a hero for what he did for those animals.”

Following the raid, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg brought charges against eight people. Edgar Bica Jr., 49, was sentenced to five months in Palm Beach County Jail, while his father Edgar Bica, 83, and Rodobaldo Diaz, 47, both got probation in return for admission of guilt. All three men worked at G.A. Paso Fino. 

“It was a very strong case. We won’t put a report together until we have enough evidence to put them in prison—not jail but in prison,” Couto said. “We demanded a meeting with the police department and the state attorney. We gave them a very detailed report and then sat back and pressed play.

“Their jaws hit the desk,” he continued. “Law enforcement has been after these farms for years. They were completely horrified but not surprised. They already knew it was happening on the property.”

The illegal slaughterhouses had been on Couto and ARM’s radar for years, but they were so involved in investigations elsewhere that they didn’t have an opportunity to investigate until about six months ago.

“We started creating relationships with the farms in that area,” said Couto. “Basically we embedded our lives with these guys. It took us a while to gain their trust. After roughly a month they started to show us their true colors. It was pretty horrifying, and we investigate some of the worst cases of animal cruelty in the world.”

According to The Palm Beach Post, prosecutor Judith Arco said there was no evidence of horse slaughter occurring at any of the three farms. Couto was surprised by the outcome after ARM had handed over several hours worth of video, including a conversation where the slaughterhouse workers were slaughtering a horse in front of the ARM investigators while offering them a cut of the meat.

Tests performed on meat seized during the raid indicated the samples were equine. 

“I’m trying to get a handle on this,” said Couto. “We literally have cameras on animals during their last breath. There’s no argument. It’s why it’s such a strong case. There’s no reason this case shouldn’t have gone to trial if they have such a strong case; they’re holding all the cards.”

The state attorney’s office declined to comment because of open related cases.