Police in Miami-Dade Florida are examining a vehicle to determine whether the meat found inside was derived from a horse.

The probe is the latest into a series of incidents involving the slaughter of horses for their meat. Since January 2009, the butchered remains of at least 22 horses have been found in Miami-Dade County. Two horses were also discovered dead and mutilated in a field in nearby Miramar, Fla., in May 2009.

In October, Miami-Dade police arrested two Miami men for allegedly selling horsemeat to an undercover police officer. Two others were arrested in connection with some of the killings in September. Those cases remain pending.

Earlier this month, Florida lawmakers passed a bill that prohibits the mutilation or killing of any horse and forbids the transport, distribution, sale, and purchase of horsemeat for human consumption. Violators could face felony mandatory minimum penalties of $3,500 in fines and one year in prison, and maximum penalties of five years in prison and $5,000 in fines for each offense. Gov. Charlie Crist signed the bill into law on May 14. The measure goes into effect on July 1