Abigeato is a term whose etymological root is found in the Latin language: abigeātus. The concept is used in the American continent with reference to the crime of stealing cattle.
The rustling is typified in various penal codes. The action of rustling involves the removal of cows, sheep, horses or other animals that are owned by a person. This crime is frequent in nations that have a developed livestock activity, since animals can be very valuable.
The cattle rider was a scourge difficult to combat in the 19th century. Over the years, various security mechanisms began to be put in place that helped minimize livestock theft. Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay are some of the countries that, due to their geographical characteristics and their economic activities, suffer from cattle rustling.
The construction of ditches or trenches that make it difficult to transport animals beyond the limits of the field, the use of vehicles to carry out patrols and even the use of weapons for defensive or dissuasive purposes are some of the actions that are usually used to fight against cattle rustling. In some cases, DNA analysis is even used to determine whether meat leaving a slaughterhouse or entering a butcher shop is stolen.
The subject that commits the rust is designated as rust. It should be noted that cattle rustling is also known cuatrerismo, a term that refers to the subtraction of quadrupeds. The rider, therefore, is the one who carries out ripping.
One of the characteristics of the cattle that first come into view is the areas chosen by the thieves: given that it is a crime in which violence and the transfer of very heavy animals must intervene, it is normal for the objective to be the more isolated fields, those that are less exposed to surveillance. For example, the rustlers often avoid farms that are located on the side of a road, since they are convenient for those whose access is more complicated, less communicated.
On the other hand, it is important to point out that the rustling is not practiced individually, or at least it is not the most common; This particular type of theft would be almost impractical for a single person, since there are several steps to overcome and the requirements to carry out the dirty work successfully:
* having a suitable vehicle: it is the first and most important point, since the truck must be prepared to travel the rural roads, but also have the space and power to move the load of stolen animals or products, once finished the cattle drive;
* bring the necessary tools: in this case, everything depends on the characteristics of the property in which the thief wants to get into and the way in which he has decided to carry out the theft. If the ground is protected by a fence, then it will be necessary to cut it and open a hole large enough to take out the animals or even to enter with the vehicle, for example;
* knowledge and skills: herding does not always consist of stealing animals, but some gangs butcher and hunt the animals on the spot, and then take the cuts to sell them clandestinely. It goes without saying that this crime requires a very particular skill and level of concentration, to act accurately and without wasting a single second;
* arrangements with local authorities: unfortunate as it may seem, it is known that in many of these stories the police side with the criminals, and that is the reason why the rustling can proliferate despite the complaints of the victims.
