Organization calls for stronger laws to deter animal fighting and alleviate the burden on law enforcement
Washington, D.C. — Today, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy issued a statement in response to news that six men were arraigned and charged with multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island. The defendants are accused of organizing a cockfighting operation in March 2022 at the Providence home of Miguel Delgado, 73 and face up to five counts each for their roles in the illegal venture, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“Animal fighting is a form of organized crime, blending animal cruelty with illicit gambling, money laundering, narcotics trafficking, and a host of other crimes,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “Our federal and state law enforcement agencies should exhibit zero tolerance for an activity built around barbaric treatment of animals and that degrades the safety of our communities.”
The DOJ defines cockfighting as a “contest in which a person attaches a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument to the leg of a gamecock or rooster and then places the bird a few inches away from a similarly armed rooster.” The birds fight viciously, flapping and stabbing at each other until one dies or is too injured to continue. Both birds often succumb to their injuries.
According to the DOJ, Delgado allegedly hosted a series of cockfighting events, known as “derbies,” at his home, where he is charged with sponsoring and exhibiting roosters in animal fighting ventures, buying and transporting sharp instruments called “gaffs” used in cockfights, and illegally possessing roosters for fighting purposes.
Co-defendants include Onill Vasquez Lozada and Antonio Ledee Rivera, who are charged with possessing roosters for fighting in 2021 and sponsoring them in the March 2022 derby. Germidez Kingsley Jamie, Jose Rivera, and Luis Castillo, all from Massachusetts, also face charges for their roles in sponsoring and exhibiting roosters at the event. Jamie and Jose Rivera face additional charges for purchasing and transporting gaffs.
If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison.
The FIGHT Act (H.R. 2742/S. 1529), currently under consideration in Congress, would amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit on-line gambling of animal fights, stop the shipment of fighting birds through the U.S. mail, and strengthen penalties for those involved in animal fighting. Animal Wellness Action urges members of Congress from Rhode Island and Massachusetts to join Representatives James P. McGovern and Stephen F. Lynch in co-sponsoring the FIGHT Act to help curb this violent and illegal activity.