A man was charged after stealing a dozen head of cattle from a Starr County ranch to sell at a Hidalgo County auction, according to an affidavit obtained by Channel 5 News.

Arthur Frederick Flores was booked into the Starr County jail on two counts of cattle theft in connection with the investigation, jail records show.

One of the stolen bulls died at the sale barn following the theft, the affidavit said.

The investigation began when authorities were contacted in February 2026 after the estate's executors said a witness reported seeing individuals on horseback, along with ATVs, trucks and trailers, on the estate ranch without authorization. 

Game camera footage also documented the unauthorized entry at the ranch located approximately 15 miles north of Highway 83 on Loma Linda Road in Starr County.

The investigation revealed that Flores hired a man identified as Augustine Becerra to enter the ranch and remove stray cattle. Flores gave Becerra access to property he leased for hunting through a gate on Pipeline Road despite it not being his property.

According to the affidavit, Becerra and other cowboys captured and hauled three bulls on two occasions in October 2025 to transport them to the Edinburg Livestock Auction in Hidalgo County. 

One bull died at the sale barn, and the remaining bulls were sold for over $6,500.

“On several additional occasions, Becerra and the other cowboys returned to the property but were unsuccessful in capturing additional cattle,” the affidavit stated. “During those attempts, numerous head of cattle died from exhaustion.”

On Jan. 31, 2026, approximately nine head of cattle consigned by Flores were sold through the Edinburg Livestock Auction for gross proceeds of $15,393.90. Becerra told authorities the cattle had been captured during several trips made the week before the sale.

Investigators say Flores directed the capture and sale of 11 head of stray cattle without reporting them to the sheriff's office, as required by the Texas Agriculture Code.

Flores was no longer listed as an inmate in the Starr County jail as of Monday night.