Bureau of Land Management sells protected wild horses for as little as $25

An investigation by The New York Times has revealed that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has significantly increased the sale of federally protected wild mustangs, with over 3,700 horses sold under the current administration. While the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 protects these animals from being killed, a 2004 amendment allows the agency to sell horses labeled as excess.

Once sold, these animals lose their federal protection and are treated as private livestock. Because horse slaughter is illegal within the United States, buyers often transport the animals to Canada or Mexico, where slaughter is legal, to sell the meat in international markets.

The practice has drawn scrutiny due to the economic disparity in the process: the government spends up to $3,000 to capture and manage a single mustang, yet sells them for as little as $25. This creates a high profit margin for buyers, who can potentially earn up to $750 per horse through slaughter.