The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says it seized $13,600 and around 130 roosters, which were euthanized due to health risks.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a release Tuesday night, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 11 men in connection to a rooster-fighting ring.
According to the release, officers were dispatched on Saturday, Jan. 24, to a home on Jake Road after a neighbor complained about the rooster fights.
Officers arrived to find an active cockfight taking place in the backyard with a large group of people watching over the pen while holding cash and drinking alcohol. A referee was monitoring the fight.
JSO says the men started to run after spotting the officers. Officers caught up with seven men initially, and a second search by narcotics and vice detectives uncovered four additional suspects, three hiding in the rafters of a shed and one under a camper bed.
The arrests were shown in a video posted by JSO.
- Alejandro Gutierrez Garcia (35)
- Ariel Villavicencio Ruiz (49)
- Omar Bonet Suarez (51)
- Raydel Hernandez Lorenzo (46)
- Ariel Rivero Santana (53)
- Pablo Marrero Pena (37)
- Sergio Pupo Cespedes (36)
- Osvaldo Acosta (61)
- Hector Perez Gonzalez (34)
- Angel Sabater Mora (42)
- Damian Garcia Olivera (50)
The release also states Pupo Cespedes, Sabater Mora, Perez Gonzalez, and Gutierrez Garcia were in the country illegally.
Officers brought in the vice unit to continue the investigation, leading to the discovery of dozens of metal fighting spurs, deceased roosters and cages along with $13,600 in cash.
According to the agency, about 130 roosters were located on property. Officials determined that the birds posed a significant risk of avian disease and could not be rehabilitated because of their aggression, so JSO and Animal Control and Protective Services (ACPS) made the decision to euthanize them all.
“This is animal cruelty, these guys have turned peaceful animals into foot-tall killing machines for sport and that’s unacceptable,” said JSO Vice Sergeant Guy Daniels, who responded to the scene. “These birds are plucked from the waist down, metal spurs are glued to their claws, and they’re thrown into a ring for a vicious fight to the death.”
Male chickens, or roosters, are not allowed in residential areas under city ordinance. A limited number of female chickens are allowed to be possessed through permits as part of the Backyard Hen Program.
“When the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office dismantled a brutal cockfighting operation, they sent a clear message that cruelty will not be tolerated in Jacksonville,” said ACPS Chief Michael Bricker. “I’m grateful for their partnership and their commitment to stopping inhumane treatment of animals. Cases like this don’t come together without care and teamwork.”