Public Prosecutor's Office seizes cattle in Concepción on suspicion of smuggling from Brazil

The Public Prosecutor's Office seized a herd of cattle in Concepción, Paraguay, after authorities identified 13 animals with markings suggesting Brazilian origin among the 150 head being transported from Santa Rosa del Aguaray to Alto Paraguay. They are now awaiting a report from Senacsa to confirm the suspicion of smuggling.

Public Prosecutor's Office seizes cattle in Concepción on suspicion of smuggling from Brazil

Paraguayan authorities identified 13 animals with markings on the right side among a herd of approximately 150 head of cattle seized during an inspection in Concepción. This marking pattern suggests the animals may be of Brazilian origin, raising suspicions of irregular entry into the country.

In light of the situation, the Public Prosecutor's Office ordered the seizure of the cattle pending a technical report from the National Service for Animal Quality and Health (Senacsa). The document will be crucial to confirm whether a criminal offense has been committed, which could be classified as smuggling if it is proven that the animals entered from the neighboring country without proper documentation.

Meiji Udagawa, the prosecutor specializing in combating cattle rustling, stated that the legal determination of the case depends solely on the sanitary agency's report. The seizure took place last Sunday when the Commission for the Fight Against Cattle Rustling and Control of Livestock Trafficking (Colcat) intercepted three pickup trucks transporting the herd.

The cattle had departed from Santa Rosa del Aguaray, in the San Pedro Department, bound for the Alto Paraguay Department. According to preliminary investigations, the buyer of the herd acquired the animals without realizing that 13 of them showed irregularities consistent with undeclared foreign origin.