Texas Game Wardens have released more details regarding ”Ghost Deer,” an investigation that became one of the largest deer smuggling operations in the state’s history. Officials have arrested 24 individuals and have filed 1,400 charges across 11 Texas counties, according to the agency.
The investigation began in March 2024, when game wardens discovered the first violations during a traffic stop. A South Texas deer breeder and his business partner were caught attempting to smuggle seven deer from a licensed deer breeding facility in East Texas through Montgomery County to Brazoria and Duval counties, where they intended to illegally release the deer into the wild on private property.
In Texas, the possession and movement of deer are regulated to mitigate the spread of diseases like the deadly Chronic Wasting Disease and to ensure the health of both captive and free-ranging wildlife populations. Anytime a white-tailed deer leaves a breeding facility, it must be uniquely and permanently identified, according to game wardens…