(NaturalNews) You may have noticed by now that large factory farms with deplorable conditions don't seem to get raided, have their livestock seized or killed, or their property confiscated, even after hundreds of people become ill with various food poisonings from their products. Product recalls are demanded, but related losses can be used for tax write-offs.

What about small, independent farmers who are unable to contribute to politicians' campaign funds and are without lobbyists? They are raided even if they've never caused ill health or created an outbreak of food poisonings. SWAT teams and health officials often descend upon them with no regard toward civil rights.

Those "protective" agencies legally possess the force to do whatever they want. Products are confiscated or destroyed, and farmers who have very little or no financial cushions are arrested. They are devastated, often ruined after years of hard work providing healthier foods than Big Ag's top producers offer.

This really peaked a few years ago with raw milk providers. According to a 2011 article by the Health Ranger, Mike Adams, the FDA's mission is to eradicate raw milk and crush raw milk providers, despite the excellent health records from raw milk users.

The Health Ranger's article cites examples of federal and state agencies sending in paid undercover agents to engage in stings on small dairy farmers so they can swarm the farm unexpectedly with scores of agents and heavily armed cops and overwhelm those farming families.

That's a lot of money and effort against small farms and farmers who provide healthier food options that threaten to encroach into Big Ag's turf, which poisons the masses with impunity.

A small case in Louisiana that raises big questions

A farmer named Trinh Tran filed a lawsuit in the Orleans Parish of Louisiana (New Orleans) against the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LSPCA) after they raided his chicken ranch with five animal control officers and nine New Orleans cops.

Tran, who is represented by attorney Steven Badeaux, asserts that he has been raising chickens for 20 years. He was never warned with citations for violations, which he claims would have given him five days to rectify alleged violations, or get a court hearing.

It was a shock-and-awe raid with heavy losses for Tran. He is suing for damages and loss of property as well as $50,000 for being denied due process.

They arrested Tran, took 620 hens and killed 395 roosters; while confiscating farming equipment, Tran's Rolex watch went missing also. Although it's legal to have chickens in Orleans Parish, roosters are banned.

But why they all were killed is a mystery. And what happened to those chickens that were gathered up and "given away" leads to a potentially interesting intellectual rabbit hole adventure.

It seems like even the SPCA has an easily tempted dark side, especially in Louisiana. That region and its neighboring southern states have a history of exploiting drug law search and seizure rules for fun and profit. Road blocks, racial profiling and lots of cash appeals to the piracy side of police departments.

All one has to be is a suspect to have their money or property seized as suspected benefits of the illicit drug trade. And who says one is a suspect? The police on the scene who pick up the cash and tell their victims that they can get a receipt at the station.

Then there are reports that the SPCA manages to profit off the sales of animals that were confiscated from others during their raids to protect the animals from alleged mistreatment that some deny.

Both sides of this story were unavailable to Natural News. But one thing is certain, if Trihn Tran were Tyson Foods, there would not have been a raid no matter how bad the conditions.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.courthousenews.com

http://midcitymessenger.com

https://www.facebook.com

http://www.fee.org