Cockfighting
Donna, TX (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Jul 12, 2009
County: Hidalgo
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Abuser names unreleased
Deputies arrested three men suspected of organizing a cockfighting organization that drew more than 100 spectators before it was raided Sunday night.
Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies busted the cockfighting ring about 8 p.m. Sunday at a property along Coronado Street near the intersection of Victoria and Lott roads, south of Donna.
Three men -- the property owner, his son and the cockfight's referee -- have confessed to the crime and face misdemeanor charges at an arraignment set for this afternoon.
Sheriff Lupe Treviño said about 150 participants and spectators fled the enclosed palenque â€" Spanish for cockfighting ring -- which was complete with rows of bleachers on the sides. Authorities found out about the operation after receiving a tip via telephone.
Spectators would pay a $5 entry fee and could wager up to $100 per cockfight, the sheriff said, but no one was arrested for placing bets.
"In this type of case, you actually have to have somebody undercover witness the betting and we were not able to do this," Treviño said.
Deputies seized several sets of gaffs â€" special razors attached to the roosters' feet â€" that expedite the birds' fight to the death, the sheriff said.
Authorities also seized weight scales, syringes and vials of suspected performance-enhancing drugs that are typically injected into the birds, Treviño said.
Each suspect faces one count of cruelty to animals and one count of keeping a gambling place. An arraignment for the class A misdemeanor offenses is set for Tuesday afternoon at the Hidalgo County Jail.
"People know that it is illegal," he said. "If we get the information and we have the manpower to respond immediately like we did last night, we are going to do so and enforce the law."
Cockfights remain common in Mexico and along the border.
Organizing cockfights violate state gambling and animal cruelty laws, each punishable with a maximum one-year jail sentence and a $4,000 fine. Betting on a cockfight is punishable by up to a $500 fine.
State lawmakers aimed to prohibit people from attending cockfights last spring, but senators failed to pass the bill through the criminal justice committee.
Still, the sheriff said he believes most cockfight spectators show up for a quick buck â€" not to watch the feathers fly and blood spill in the ring. Said Treviño: "I just don't see them spending a leisurely Sunday afternoon watching two roosters kill each other." References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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