Cattle rustling is probably as old as animal husbandry. In the Old West in what was “unoccupied” lands west of the Mississippi River in what is now Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, Texas, and other major cattle centers in the United States, rustling and re-branding cattle was punished by hanging, usually without trial, on the nearest convenient tree.
In 19th Century Dominican history, there was a major issue for cattle ranchers in what is now Montecristi, Dajabon, and Restauracion. History recalls that back then local caudillo Benito Moncion asked his officers for suggestions, and the one that he put into play effectively ended cattle rustling for many years. Instead of killing rustlers from the neighboring country, he ordered his soldiers to castrate rustles caught in the act and return them to Haiti. Historic reports indicate that this effectively put an end to the rustling.
Just last week, a team from the Fast Response units of the Dominican Army apprehended half a dozen foreigners red-handed with 28 cattle and two horses that had been taken from a ranch in Los Miches in Dajabon province. The rustlers were not hung or castrated, but rather they were turned over to the judicial authorities for trial. The cattle and horses were returned to their owner.
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El Caribe
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
DR1 News
17 February 2025