During the Mexican era, the "secularization" of the missions combined with corrupt politicians mostly robbed the Christianized natives of these promised lands. Some of the embittered native survivors of the mission era, turned out with no tribal connections and no future in the European settlements, became outlaws and banded together with deserters from the Mexican and US militaries to form bands of horse thieves that operated over the Old Spanish Trail. Horses were stolen from ranchos in the Los Angeles area, taken up into the high desert and wintered by the Colorado River, then over the trail to be sold in New Mexico.

Finally the Mexican government organized posses, and even resorted to land grants to ranchers in the Cajon Pass on condition that they help defend the pass against horse thieves.

After the war between the US and Mexico began, American trappers and adventure-seekers entered the horse thieving business, including the legendary Pegleg Smith, claiming it was a patriotic support of the war effort.

Last update 12:50 PM Fri. 27-Feb-2004 by ABS.