Cockfighting - 1,000 birds seized
Bloomfield, NM (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Apr 29, 2009
County: San Juan

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» Reyes Marin
» Mario Marin

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

State police searching a Bloomfield residence Wednesday discovered about 1,000 chickens allegedly used for cockfighting and breeding fighters, authorities said.

The raid occurred Wednesday morning at a home on County Road 4909.

"The chickens were found in cages and tethered to stakes in the ground," state police spokesman Peter Olson said in a prepared statement. "Animal control and a veterinarian are inspecting all the animals to determine if there are any health issues or physical evidence of these chickens fighting each other with sharp blades attached to their legs."

The suspects under investigation for cockfighting were identified as Reyes and Mario Marin, state police Lt. Dan Becker said. No charges were filed Wednesday. The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for review.

The estimated 1,000 birds could be seized by authorities and possibly destroyed if investigators suspect the animals ingested performance-enhancing chemicals.

Investigators at the Bloomfield home were processing evidence through the evening Wednesday. Of the animals inspected Wednesday, just 13 were confiscated and taken to the Aztec Animal Shelter, Becker said.

"These 13 were kind of the worst of the worst," he said.

Contributing to the investigation were representatives of the New Mexico Attorney General's Animal Cruelty Task Force.

"I would say with the number of roosters that we're hearing are up at this location, this is definitely a major game-fowl breeder in the state," said Heather Ferguson, coordinator of the Animal Cruelty Task Force. "It is a huge blow to cockfighting out here thanks to the law enforcement action."

The cockfighting raid was the second in San Juan County since the activity was banned by the state Legislature in June 2007. A search of a La Plata home in March discovered nearly 200 birds maintained for fighting.

Although cockfighting in New Mexico is a petty misdemeanor on first offense, investigators often find a range of felony crimes associated with cockfighting operations, including drug trafficking and gambling.

"I would anticipate that felony charges will result from this, from the information I've heard from (police) so far," Ferguson said of the suspect under investigation Wednesday.

Earlier in April, 500 birds were confiscated by state authorities in Doña Ana County after police conducted a string of cockfighting raids there in a single weekend.

With increased scrutiny paid to investigation of illegal cockfighting, such raids are identifying larger-scale breeding operations that play a bigger role in supplying fighting roosters to cockfighters statewide, the Animal Cruelty Task Force coordinator said.

"It's leading us to more information (to) start hitting the upper echelons of the fighters," Ferguson said.

Case Updates

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