Authorities in three countries across the Americas have uncovered a series of hidden caches this week, including the remains of more than 100 dogs buried at a California animal rescue, a disabled woman living amid animal carcasses in Brazil, and live lions and a tiger found alongside stolen goods in Mexico. The discoveries, made during separate law enforcement operations, have exposed alleged criminal networks and severe neglect, with investigations now under way in each jurisdiction.

In the United States, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office in California reported that 117 intact dog remains were recovered from two dig sites at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Fortuna, along with 21 additional canine skulls, hundreds of bones, and six loose microchips. Forensic veterinarians preliminarily determined that many of the dogs had died of gunshot wounds, with bullet fragments visible in X-rays taken on site. More than 600 dog collars were found in a barn area believed to be where the animals were killed. The sanctuary’s owner, Shannon Miranda, stated that euthanasia was performed only in rare cases of terminal illness or dangerous behaviour, and that recent media coverage presented an incomplete picture. No arrests have been made, and the sheriff’s office said the evidence review would require significant time.

In southern Brazil, military police in Indaial, Santa Catarina state, rescued a 52-year-old wheelchair-bound woman from a house filled with animal faeces and urine. Officers found 22 dogs and two cats alive in extremely precarious conditions, along with eight dead animals in advanced decomposition stored in rubbish bags. The woman’s niece, who was responsible for the property, told police she had left her aunt alone for only a few hours and attributed the lack of cleaning to caring for her ill father. The case was registered as abandonment of a vulnerable person and animal mistreatment; the surviving animals were taken for sterilisation and will be put up for adoption.

In Mexico, federal authorities executed a search warrant on a nearly 30,000-square-metre property in Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, San Luis Potosí, after a transport company reported the theft of a lorry-load of tyres. The Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) said agents seized 1,781 tyres, 17 articulated lorries, 41 cars, 17 pick-up trucks, heavy machinery, and tools suspected of being used to alter vehicle identification numbers. Live animals—including two African lions, a Bengal tiger, a jaguar, and a coyote—were found on the premises, along with taxidermy specimens of bears and a Barbary sheep. Three men were arrested and ordered to remain in pre-trial detention on charges of possessing stolen vehicles and goods and criminal association. Separately, the FGR reported that a raid in Práxedis Guerrero Nuevo, Durango, led to the seizure of explosive devices, two long firearms, approximately 530 cartridges, and three vehicles, after a soldier spotted weaponry through a half-open door.

Mexican authorities have placed the San Luis Potosí property under ministerial guard, and a judge has granted two months for the complementary investigation. In California, analysts are reviewing microchip data to identify the dogs and their origins, while Brazilian social services and animal welfare officials are handling the administrative aftermath. No further details on potential charges in the US or Brazil have been released.