Get Active | Living | TV | Shop | About PETA | Donate Now
Animal Rights Are Headline News | Main | 10% Wool, by Jeff Corriveau

Dec31

Game Over, Cockfighters

Posted at 01:56 PM | | CommentsComments (9)

This rooster from the property was wearing an ankle tag when he was found.
A collaborative effort involving multiple law-enforcement agencies has resulted in the takedown of what may just be the largest cockfighting ring in U.S. history!

According to information we received from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the DEA-led effort was intended to lead to the confiscation of drugs, not chickens. Officials had been working to gather information on the Gulf Cartel, a Mexican drug trafficking organization. They were following the actions of the alleged smugglers when they stumbled upon the cartel's other dirty business: a massive cockfighting ring.

These were the houses in which the roosters were forced to live.
Kill or be killed may be the chosen mantra for drug lords, but for roosters who are imprisoned and forced to fight to the death, it's not a choice. Rather, it is a cruel existence that is nearly always marked by constant injuries and a painful death.

Thanks to the powers that be, though, the suspected cockfighters were caught red-handed (white-powder–handed?). Eleven individuals were arrested near Nashville, Tennessee, for their involvement, and 30 more arrests took place in Texas, Mississippi, Nevada, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. And, best of all, those birds are out of the ring for good.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky


Comments

I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible!

Posted by: Liz | December 31, 2008 02:56 PM

Remember that there are legislators (including some in Tennessee) that SUPPORTED this drug cartel's bird fighting, and who routinely oppose anti-cruelty laws on behalf of people like this.

These are American legislators, trying to help Mexican drug cartel gambling birdfighting businesses. (Dog fighting too!)

We need to run these pro-animal cruelty legislators out of office.

Posted by: kelly | December 31, 2008 03:38 PM

goood! me and my dads girlfriend actually found a rooster left walking around the streets of the bronx suspecting he was in cockfights we spent the half the day helping him! :] cockfighting and dog fighting is sooooo cruel!

Posted by: Harlie | December 31, 2008 05:20 PM

That picture of the roosters' "houses" breaks my heart.

Posted by: Canaduck | December 31, 2008 08:55 PM

I'm still staring at the picture of the roosters "houses". Unbelievable.

Posted by: Aneliese | December 31, 2008 11:09 PM

Good! I hope they get a good COCK FIGHT in jail. haha get it? cock fight. But seriously, I really hope they get what they deserve because those poor birds didn't deserve that!

Posted by: Amber Falobas | December 31, 2008 11:54 PM

Thank God those birds are free from that hellish life! And I hope those criminals find their karma in jail...

Posted by: NT | January 1, 2009 09:33 PM

Its just horrile isnt it

Posted by: Allison | January 2, 2009 12:18 PM

I can,t beleive after all the trouble to stop the raising of 300-400 cockfighters in my backyard that its still going on.We've tried everything from animal control,police dept.,healthdept.,etc. We even put together a petition from the locals and had the roosters on the 6:00 news,to no avail!HOW DO WE STOP THIS?!

Posted by: Randolph Myrick | January 5, 2009 11:58 AM

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)





TaggedTAGGED: cockfighting drugs roosters dea 

Post this story to: tagFacebook tagDigg tagdel.icio.us tagNewsvine
More:
 

Recent

Archives

Feeds

Commenting

You are not signed in. You need to be registered to comment on this site.

Disclaimer

The views expressed here are those of the author alone, are subject to change, and may not represent the views of PETA. They are being provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Except where third party ownership or copyright is indicated or credited regarding materials contained in this blog, copying, reproduction, or redistribution of any of the documents, data, content, or materials contained in this weblog for personal, noncommercial use is enthusiastically encouraged.

About Us Contact Us