Federal agents, state and local law enforcement officers dismantled a cockfighting ring in Alabama on Saturday, charging 75 and seizing firearms and gambling cash.
Special Agent Steven Schrank told AL.com said the ring involved “just terrible conduct that is abusing livestock, taking advantage and victimizing animals and profiting from that through an illegal gambling operation.”
He said chickens were armed with blades “and would ultimately kill each other in the name of sport.”
Of the 75 people arrested, many are American citizens, but “a large number are illegal aliens.” The ring was tied to a network of organized criminal activity, including illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and other violent offenses.
Schrank went on to add, “It’s just terrible to see this, especially in a part of the state and a part of the country where we have significant poultry operations.”
“We’ve seized multiple firearms and are seizing gambling proceeds and putting this operation out of business permanently.”
The state has tough laws on gambling, and sports betting in Alabama also remains illegal.
ICE shutting down cockfighting rings
The ICE Homeland Security Task Force and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force also shut down a cockfighting ring in Mississippi last month. In a similar case to the one in Alabama this weekend, officers reported chickens being armed with knives as well as seizing drugs and firearms.
“In addition to the acts of animal cruelty perpetrated by the operators and encouraged by the participants, underground gambling operations such as these often have ties to other significant crimes, including narcotics violations, money laundering and acts of violence,” ICE HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune said. “These crimes degrade the safety of our communities, and we are proud to be the ones stopping these illegal operations.”
US gambling laws strictly prohibit cockfighting and it is classed as a felony in 42 states. As well as Alabama and Mississippi, there have been recent reports of cockfighting rings being exposed in New York, California, Kentucky, and Georgia.
“Operation Angry Birds” in New York saw the biggest raid in the state with over 3,000 birds seized and 9 men charged with felonies. An even bigger bust occurred in LA in 2017 when over 7,000 birds were seized.
Federal penalties can include up to 3 years in prison for transporting or attending animal fighting events.
As well as the cruelty to animals and links to other crimes, cockfighting has been associated with the spread of diseases. Between May 2018–May 2020, the USDA confirmed 476 premises with virulent Newcastle disease linked to cockfighting. While primarily a disease of birds, humans can experience mild, temporary eye infections from direct contact with animals that have Newcastle disease.
Cockfighting in other countries
Many of the raids have also been linked to illegal immigrants. Cockfighting is legal and popular in the Philippines, regulated by the Philippine Gamefowl Commission. There are licensed cockpit arenas, and fights are sometimes televised.
In Indonesia, the practice is tied to religious rituals and can often be seen on temple grounds. In Mexico, it is also not illegal at the federal level, although many local governments, including Mexico City, have banned the sport.
It is also legal and accepted in countries in South America, including Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
