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Case ID: 15157

Classification: Fighting

Animal: chicken

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Cockfighting - 105 birds seized
Midland, TX (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Jan 31, 2009
County: Midland

Charges: Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» Alonso Garcia-Guevara
» Fernando Armendariz Aranda
» Rigoberto Ontiveros Garcia
» Carlos Enrique Bacza
» Juan Daniel Alvarado
» Colby Lee Smith
» Jesus Bueno-Carreon
» Matthew Allen Jarrell
» Billy L. Smith, Jr.
» Jose Juan Zamudio-Ramos
» Afredo Nunez
» Cruz Mario Apodaca
» Victor Jasso Lujan
» Jose Juan Maldonado
» Juan Jose Maldonado
» Jose Julio Vele Ruiz
» Jose Benito Maldonado-Campos
» Oscar Garcia Rodriguez
» Robert Ortiz
» Ramon Vazquez-Saucedo
» Rafael Ontiveros Garcia
» Humberto Olivas
» Adan Villa Zubia
» Guadalupe Amendariz Venegas
» Jesus Galindo
» Luis Rodriguez-Solorzano
» Jose Sandoval
» Honoria Santiestean
» Juan Carrillo Villa
» Chim Abila
» Cesar Sanchez
» Agustin Maldonado Neavez
» Omar Olivas
» Armando Renteria
» Oferael Ramirez
» Atayed Uriel
» Lorenzo Gutierrez Estrada
» Maurilio Machua
» Ruben Fabela Terrazas
» Eddie Dewayne Henley
» Artis Tavarez Wimbley
» Alonzo Munoz
» Jorge Montoya Galindo
» Jesse Edward Ramos
» Jesus Estrada
» Juan Jaime Sanchez
» Carlos Gomez Morales
» Nathaniel Adam Pallanes
» Jesus Romero
» Jesus Baeza
» Solis Leon
» Jose Antonio Olivas
» Adolfo Porras
» Miguel Jimenez
» Jaime Gutierrez Estrada
» Alberto Ramirez
» Moises Morales-Rodriguez
» Juan Ruiz Llanas
» Leopoldo Llamas-Moreno
» Ricardo Samaniego
» Rogelio Carreon
» Jose Olivas
» Gadino Agilar
» Rogelio Gutierrez Estrada
» Jorge Rico Athayde
» Dino Atayde
» Adam Rodriguez
» Fabian Caldera Torres
» Juan Morales
» Osbaldo Gomez Morales
» Adrian Hernandez Alvarado
» Margarito Sotelo Lujan
» Jose Solis
» Alfredo Hernandez Alvarado
» Samuel Alvarado
» Sergio Cardenas Newsome
» Alberto Avila
» Adan Atayde
» Guadalupe Armendaiz Venegas
» Bernardo Flores Natividad
» Daniel Aleman
» Victor Cabrera
» Juan Soto
» abuser name unreleased 14 year-old boy

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Martin and Midland county sheriff deputies arrested 83 people Saturday in the massive bust of a cockfighting ring that took place just north of Midland, Martin County Sheriff John Woodward said.

By 3 p.m. Sunday, the landowner where the cockfighting took place was being held at the Martin County jail, while the Midland County Jail was still booking the other 82 suspects that were found at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Woodward said an oilfield worker tipped the Midland County Sheriffs Office off on more than 100 people gathered around a cockfighting pen in the 2000 block of County Road 2001, near the Midland County border. Many cars were parked nearby.

Woodward said they found more than 100 people watching the cockfights there. He said 15 of them fled from deputies that morning but were all found, even though some of them were later "cut loose."

Deputies seized a total of 105 fighting roosters, of which eight to 10 were already dead and several others so severely mutilated that a vet ordered deputies to euthanize them. Deputies also found marijuana, cocaine and about $90,000 in suspected betting cash among the 83 that were arrested.

"Lots of drugs, lots of drinking, lots of money and of course the chickens getting cut up," Woodward said. "This is the biggest drug and organized crime ring ever in the history of Martin County. (Midland County Sheriff) Gary Painter never had an arrest this big, he said."

The names of the 83 arrested were not available by 3 p.m. Sunday, but Woodward said all of them got a blanket felony charge of engaging in organized criminal activity. This, he added, includes those that simply were there and didn't necessarily place a rooster in the fight or bet on one of them.

Since some of the arrested people came from out of state, Woodward said the federal authorities may get involved in the case as well.

Case Updates

Sheriff John Woodward was still sorting out what he called the largest organized criminal bust in the county's history, figuring out who the ring leaders were in Saturday's cockfighting match.

The jailers in Midland County, meanwhile, spent 48 hours booking the 83 men and women that were arrested for supposedly taking part in the match at the 2000 block of County Road 2001 just north of Midland. Midland Sheriff Gary Painter said they were sending the last group of 12 suspects back to the Martin County jail by press time.

"It got a little crowded in the booking area," Painter said. "Prisoners were moved and officers did a marvelous job of handling the situation. We adapted to it."

The people arrested ranged from 14 to 65 years old, with some coming from New Mexico and Mexico. Woodward said 11 of them were suspected illegal immigrants and one had a U.S. Marshals warrant, though he did not know which of the 84 had it or what those charges were.

District Attorney John Klassen of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Midland said he might pick up the case later in the investigation.

"I'm aware there's a relatively new federal statute that prohibits animal fighting, so we expect at some point we'll be reviewing the evidence," Klassen said. He added they can also bring a federal case if there's an element of "interstate commerce" involved in the cockfighting.

All 84 of the people arrested were given a blanket charge of engaging in organized criminal activity after the arrests began at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Some, Painter said, already bonded out of jail. Woodward said once they find out who led the whole gathering, additional charges may be filed.

As for the 105 fighting roosters seized from the match, Woodward said the deputies were still holding onto the survivors until they can find a place for them.

"Just the logistics of feeding the chickens here.... I talked to schools, 4-H and different groups," he said. "These guys are just cramped up in the cages... some of them can't turn around and move."

He said holding the roosters was tricky for the deputies since they would try to kill each other if they didn't separate them somehow.

Martin and Midland county deputies seized cocaine, marijuana, and about $90,000 in cash from the 84 people arrested.

Alonso Garcia-Guevara, 23

Fernando Armendariz Aranda, 35

Rigoberto Ontiveros Garcia, 20

Carlos Enrique Bacza, 29

Juan Daniel Alvarado, 25

Colby Lee Smith, 21

Jesus Bueno-Carreon, 43

Matthew Allen Jarrell, 20

Billy L. Smith Jr., 47

Jose Juan Zamudio-Ramos, 31

Afredo Nunez, 42

Cruz Mario Apodaca, 41

Victor Jasso Lujan, 32

Jose Juan Maldonado, 38

Juan Jose Maldonado, 61

Jose Julio Vele Ruiz, unknown

Jose Benito Maldonado-Campos, 33

Oscar Garcia Rodriguez, 27

Robert Ortiz, 25

Ramon Vazquez-Saucedo, 33

Rafael Ontiveros Garcia, 19

Humberto Olivas, 50

Adan Villa Zubia, 39

Guadalupe Amendariz Venegas, 38

Jesus Galindo, 39

Luis Rodriguez-Solorzano, 57

Jose Sandoval, 35

Honoria Santiestean, 46

Juan Carrillo Villa, 36

Chim Abila, 33

Cesar Sanchez, 27

Agustin Maldonado Neavez, 53

Omar Olivas, 17

Armando Renteria, unknown

Oferael Ramirez, 35

Atayed Uriel, 24

Lorenzo Gutierrez Estrada, 41

Maurilio Machua, 45

Ruben Fabela Terrazas, 22

Eddie Dewayne Henley, 36

Artis Tavarez Wimbley, 36

Alonzo Munoz, 30

Jorge Montoya Galindo, 29

Jesse Edward Ramos, 31

Jesus Estrada, 24

Juan Jaime Sanchez, 31

Carlos Gomez Morales, 34

Nathaniel Adam Pallanes, 31

Jesus Romero, 21

Jesus Baeza, 20

Solis Leon, 33

Jose Antonio Olivas, 21

Adolfo Porras, 28

Miguel Jimenez, 47

Jaime Gutierrez Estrada, 38

Alberto Ramirez, 34

Moises Morales-Rodriguez, 35

Juan Ruiz Llanas, 43

Leopoldo Llamas-Moreno, 26

Ricardo Samaniego, 41

Rogelio Carreon, 25

Jose Olivas, 48

Gadino Agilar, 49

Rogelio Gutierrez Estrada, 46

Jorge Rico Athayde, 34

Dino Atayde, 28

Adam Rodriguez, 31

Fabian Caldera Torres, 25

Juan Morales, 17

Osbaldo Gomez Morales, 36

Adrian Hernandez Alvarado, 22

Margarito Sotelo Lujan, 48

Jose Solis, 28

Alfredo Hernandez Alvarado, 27

Samuel Alvarado, 32

Sergio Cardenas Newsome, 21

Alberto Avila, 24

Adan Atayde, 29

Guadalupe Armendaiz Venegas, 38

Bernardo Flores Natividad, 27

Daniel Aleman, 18

Victor Cabrera, 31

Juan Soto, 65

One 14-year-old boy was also among the arrested.

Source: OAonline - Feb 2, 2009
Update posted on Feb 3, 2009 - 7:08PM

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Cockfighting - 105 birds seizedMidland, TX (US)

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Cockfighting - 105 birds seized
Midland, TX (US)