PETA Urges Attorney General Pam Bondi to Investigate Ties of Illegal ‘Bush Tracks’ to Mexican Cartel
In the wake of the killing of Jalisco cartel chief Nemesio Oseguera, aka “El Mencho”—and the ongoing turf war between the Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels for control of the U.S. market for cocaine and other drugs—PETA is putting a spotlight on another dark corner: illegal “bush track” horse racing. In the cruel, criminal world of underground racing, jockeys and trainers will do anything to win—including injecting horses with cocaine, methamphetamine, and other substances that are illegally trafficked into the U.S. from Mexico. Law enforcement officials have confirmed to PETA that Sinaloa has ties to illegal bush track racing in the U.S. PETA sent an urgent letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling for an immediate investigation into the Sinaloa cartel’s links to illegal “bush track” racing.
What a Bush Track Bust in Wilder, Idaho Revealed
In October 2025, FBI and other federal agents raided an unregulated horse racing “bush track” in Wilder, Idaho, arresting five people in connection with the alleged illegal gambling operation. Federal authorities say the investigation focused on illegal wagering—and as PETA has exposed, such tracks are often rife with other criminal activity, including drug use and violence.
PETA’s investigation into unsanctioned racing in Georgia blew the lid off this sleazy world. We exposed illegal gambling; trainers and jockeys openly injecting horses with cocaine, meth, and other street drugs; the use of electroshock devices to make horses run faster; and the deaths of horses on the track. Our probe resulted in charges against seven people.
The Idaho bust followed a raid by Texas officials of Carril Mochomos, an unsanctioned Quarter Horse track in Levelland, Texas, which resulted in 14 arrests.
Horses Pay the Price When Humans Gamble on Their Lives
A horse’s skin is so sensitive that they can feel a fly landing on them, but when exploited for bush racing, jockeys whip them without limit (sometimes 30 times in a 300-yard race) and jolt them with painful electric shocks.
PETA Blew the Lid Off Illegal Bush Track Racing—Here’s How YOU Can Help Horses
You can take action for horses by helping PETA shut down unregulated tracks operating in Georgia:
