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80 chickens seized after investigators bust cockfighting ring in Stafford County
80 chickens were seized after detectives in Virginia busted a suspected cockfighting ring in Stafford.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. - Detectives in Stafford County busted a large-scale cockfighting ring last week, resulting in the seizure of 80 chickens.
According to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, detectives and Animal Control Officers first responded to a home on Norman Road on the morning of Nov. 7 to execute a search warrant related to a previous stolen property report.
Detectives reportedly also received information about cockfighting events being held at the same home. A second search warrant for the property was secured, related to the cockfighting allegations.
As a result, 80 game fowl chickens were found and were to be taken from the home pending a seizure hearing. Additionally, detectives found controlled substances, equipment and weapons directly related to cockfighting. On
Wednesday, Animal Control was granted custody of all the chickens following the seizure hearing.
The suspect, 47-year-old Sergio Munoz, was also taken into custody following the hearing. He has been charged with five counts of felony animal fighting.
Grant Fields, a manager at the recycled auto parts business Pick-A-Part on Norman Road, said it’s not uncommon to see stray animals roaming around the area.
"There’s a lot of animals that run around. People let their cats run around here. We get plenty of stray animals, stray dogs. So, it doesn’t surprise me. I saw some chickens running around, maybe it wasn’t that yard," Fields said. "It’s a shame. Obviously, it’s a major crime here in the state of Virginia to abuse an animal, so hopefully they’re held accountable for what they were doing at the end of the day. It should be a zero tolerance thing."
According to the Humane Society, gamebirds are locked in a pit and forced to fight with razor-sharp steel blades or "gaffs" which resemble 3-inch-long, curved ice picks tied to their legs. This is done to increase the violence and suffering, according to the Humane Society.
"Regardless of how exhausted or injured a bird becomes during a battle, the birds cannot escape the fighting pit. Common injuries include punctured lungs, broken bones, and pierced eyes," the Humane Society reports.
As of 2021, cockfighting is a crime in every state and 42 states penalize it as a felony. At the same time, the advocacy group Animal Wellness Action said it’s also likely "the most widespread malicious form" of animal cruelty.
"We estimate as many as 20 million fighting birds are raised annually in the United States for use in fighting pits that are illegally situated throughout the United States whether Virginia or Alabama or Texas, Oklahoma. Or Georgia, Florida, Illinois, you name it. It’s happening at every in state in the country," Animal Wellness Action president Wayne Pacelle said. "We also have a very brisk trade in fighting animals. We have hundreds of thousands, if not, millions of animals shipped to Mexico for fights in Mexico where cockfighting is legal. The United States is treated as the number one breeding ground for cockfighting birds. We’re also sending tens of thousands of birds to the Philippines, which is another global destination for fights."
Pacelle added, cockfighting and dogfighting are almost always linked to other crimes.
"It’s not just the animal cruelty, it’s illegal gambling. It’s money laundering. It’s narcotics trafficking," he said. "Virginia has a lot of rural and people think perhaps, they can get away with it. I think this bust by the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is a signal to cockfighters there is no refuge in the Commonwealth of Virginia."
Munoz was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $1,000 secured bond. Munoz was not the subject in question for the original search warrant, the Sheriff's Office says.
A woman who answered the door at the Norman Road home Wednesday confirmed Munoz lived there, but she would not comment on the charges.
All 80 chickens are currently being housed and cared for at the Stafford County Animal Shelter and are scheduled to be seen by a vet. The Stafford County Animal Shelter is currently exploring long-term solutions for their future.
A spokesperson for the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said Animal Control officers are looking at the possible additional charges for Munoz, though it’s not clear if anyone else will be charged in relation to the cockfighting case.