A state investigator says cattle rustling is on the rise in Oklahoma.
The lead agent for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture's criminal investigation unit tells The Journal Record that the number of cattle reported stolen through March has already surpassed all of 2018. That comes to 1,210 stolen in the first three months of the year compared to 975 in 2018.
Investigator Jerry Flowers says the state often works with federal agencies. In a recent case, that has included the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs because the stolen cattle was on property north of El Reno that is under the jurisdiction of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Nations.