250+ roosters seized in California cockfighting ring bust

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. - A major cockfighting ring bust in San Bernardino County resulted in the seizure of more than 250 fighting roosters, gambling money, and more than two dozen firearms on Sunday, according to the sheriff's department.

Deputies from the Yucaipa Station responded to a report of an illegal cockfight happening at a property in the 32000 block of Avenue E on the morning of Jan. 19. At the scene, deputies noticed about 50 vehicles on the property, the majority of which were trying to leave the scene. 

Authorities said one vehicle accelerated toward a patrol unit that was trying to stop them, leading to a short pursuit. That vehicle eventually stopped and four people including the driver, Jose Adame, were taken into custody. Another suspect, Carlos Romero, was detained after he was found lying down inside the truck in possession of an undisclosed amount of cash and a hidden semi-automatic handgun.

Additionally, nearly a dozen live roosters were discovered in the rear cargo area. The car was impounded.

Deputies detained 33 people believed to be spectators on the property where an estimated 250 roosters were kept, officials said. San Bernardino County Animal Control recovered approximately 17 dead roosters, seized eight live roosters, and tagged 61 boxed roosters.

A search warrant for the property resulted in the discovery of a fighting ring with a scoreboard, steel talons, and two dozen firearms from a large safe, according to the sheriff's department.

The property has since been red-tagged along with several other buildings, including a trailer on the property. 

In response to the bust, the Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy released a statement thanking local authorities. 

"We thank San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office for acting swiftly to bust this criminal cockfighting operation just as soon as they recognized a serious and deadly criminal operation was in progress," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. "Cockfighting is a crime of animal cruelty, bound up with illegal gambling, drugs, and violence that tears apart our safe communities. The illegal sport is a breeding ground for avian influenza, known as bird flu that poses risk to human health, and we should exhibit no tolerance for this vicious crime."

In Nov. 2024, cockfighting enthusiast and son-in-law of cartel leader "El Mencho" was arrested in Riverside County, according to the animal wellness group.

 "California banned cockfighting in 1905, but these staged battles remain the state’s most widespread form of illegal animal cruelty. San Bernardino also has an ordinance restricting the possession of large numbers of roosters on a property, precisely to discouraging cockfighters from raising, selling, and fighting animals in the nation’s largest county by physical geography," the group added in a statement.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Yucaipa Sheriff's Station at (909) 918-2305. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may contact We-Tip at 1-888-78-CRIME.