A man whose bloody fingerprints were found on a van full of horse meat was arrested on Wednesday, the latest in the Miami area to be charged in connection with black-market butchering of horses for human consumption.
Juan Martinez-Gonzalez, 44, was charged with improper disposal of dead animals and creating a sanitary nuisance, Miami-Dade police said.
Investigators traced him through the fingerprints left on the blood-smeared white van, found in May when a homeowner reported seeing a suspicious vehicle.
Police found two coolers full of horse meat and a bag of horse legs inside the vehicle and arrested its owner and a passenger on loitering and prowling charges.
Police were trying to link the meat to a horse carcass found elsewhere and the investigation is ongoing.
Animal rights activists have pushed for tougher legislation to squelch the illegal market for horse meat in south Florida.
In December, another man was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing and butchering two pet horses. A co-defendant in that case is still awaiting trial on charges stemming from a year-long spate of horse killings, including some animals who were still alive when chunks of meat were carved from them.
