Texas law-enforcement agencies arrested 14 people during a raid Sunday on an illegal racing operation outside of Levelland in the Texas panhandle, according to the agencies. The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Racing Commission, and the Hockley County sheriff’s department all participated in the raid. In addition to the 14 arrests, the agencies seized illegal drugs, electrical shocking devices, and “large caches of currency,” according to the Texas Racing Commission. The racing operation, known as Carril Mochomos, was described as a “mass gathering” for horse racing activities by the racing commission. “Illicit racing at bush tracks pose a direct risk to the health and safety of racing animals and undermines the integrity of racing in our state,” said Amy Cook, the executive director of the racing commission. The agencies said that “numerous illegal gambling devices” were seized in the operation along with illicit drugs that included 135 grams of cocaine and substances that were used on the horses. The raid was preceded by a grand jury indictment charging nine people with crimes related to organized criminal activity and other violations of Texas law, Among those indicted was Daniel Avila, a licensed jockey who has had 34 Quarter Horse mounts at sanctioned tracks in New Mexico over the past two years, according to Equibase records. PETA, the animal-rights organization that is seeking the abolition of horse racing, praised the raid and cited a complaint it filed with the Texas Department of Safety in April for bringing attention to the operation. The complaint cited illegal Quarter Horse racing activity at 46 unregulated tracks in the state, including the site raided on Sunday. “It is vital that the state take action to investigate and hold responsible those who organize, participate in, and host these unregulated horse races throughout the state,” the complaint said. Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the PETA complaint did not list the Carril Mochomos site specifically. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.