Investigators arrived at the Socorro export pens at 6:00am. There were approximately 15 horses already in the pens, some with blankets on. The did not have any food present, and all were searching the pen ground for forage. Water was observed in the troughs. An empty livestock trailer, empty stock trailer, as well as a white TDA pick-up truck were present. Some horses had numbers painted on their sides, which corresponded to the slaughter tag represented near the withers. 
(This same numbering system was seen at Morton, signifying the same shipper using a “labeling” system.)Federal regulations require that slaughter horses have to have access to food and water for six consecutive hours prior to transport to a slaughter facility. Animals’ Angels will remind the Texas Department of Agriculture again of this responsibility.
Shortly before 7:00am, a fully loaded Twins Trucking trailer arrived and parked on the street, awaiting entrance to the pens to unload. The driver remained parked on the street for 45 minutes, before backing to the pen gates located in the rear of the property to unload. The handling of these horses was good, as well as the handling of the 3 rejects that were reloaded onto the trailer. Twin’s Trucking departed the export facility at 8:10am.
Twin’s Trucking US DOT 770277, is under an out-of-service order from FMCSA and may not operate. Animals’ Angels has filed a complaint with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
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