ALBURQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico attorney general’s office announced Wednesday that Attorney General Gary King has joined an anti-trust lawsuit against Brazilian-owned JBS-Swift.

The U.S. Department of Justice and 16 states’ attorneys general filed the lawsuit last month to prevent JBS from completing its acquisition of National Beef Packing. If the two companies do merge, it would create the largest beef processor in the world.

The attorney general’s office said that if JBS is allowed to purchase NBS, potentially this could mean higher priced beef for consumers, a lower price-per-head for New Mexico ranchers and a limited market for meat packing.

Other states reportedly joining New Mexico in the antitrust lawsuit include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.

Source: New Mexico Attorney General's Office