An FBI raid on a Florida property uncovered an alleged cockfighting operation involving “several thousand” roosters. The raid also led to at least one person’s arrest on numerous charges.
A 52-year-old man was taken into custody on charges of animal cruelty with intent to harm or kill, tampering with tangible evidence, and possessing animals for fighting and peacefully resisting an officer, according to an arrest report.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office detectives reported finding the cockfighting roosters as part of a large bust that started with an FBI raid at a location in the county’s Horse Country enclave over the weekend.
The men were caught after FBI agents visited the property for a different investigation
The arrest report states that FBI agents found what they believed to be a cockfighting enterprise while visiting the 10-acre property as part of a different investigation. 7 News Miami reports that when Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office detectives executed a search warrant on Sunday, they “observed several thousand game fowl roosters, along with numerous enclosed cockfighting training rings. Additionally, several rooster paraphernalia including vitamins, syringes, medication and rooster agitators were observed.”
Two men “who breached the secured perimeter of the property” were were discovered by deputies during their investigation of the site on Sunday morning. Deputies reported that after both males fled and leaped a fence, they located one of them walking in a nearby nursery.
The arrest report did not include the 52-year-old’s statements to the deputies; however, investigators said one of the items they found was “a ledger with his name on it,” according to Local 10 News. According to the police, he showed them the space he rented and acknowledged entering the property to get his roosters.
A similar bust occurred recently in Kentucky
In September, five men were indicted on federal charges tied to an alleged cockfighting ring in Kentucky.
The men are accused of breeding and raising roosters for cockfighting on farms in and around Bowling Green, according to federal investigators. Three of the men were accused of owning roosters for the purpose of having them participate in an animal fighting venture, according to WLWT News. Two others were accused of conspiracy to carry out the same offense. One was also charged with possession of a gun with the serial number removed from it.
The indictment states that the suspects bred roosters on their farms in order to train and market them for cockfighting. If found guilty, the maximum sentence for the cockfighting-related crimes is five years in prison. If found guilty of the firearm charge, one of the guys could serve an additional five years in prison.
“Cockfighting gangs and cartels, and their interwoven ties to drug, weapons, and human trafficking, are on par with terrorism, and must be fought nationwide,” Steve Hindi, president of Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), said in a news release.