By Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contributor
Last week, on Saturday, July 17, investigators with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS); Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE), assisted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), executed a search warrant at 1915 SE Calhoun Rd., in Mayo, as part of "Operation Fowl Play," a months-long investigation into illegal cockfighting rings illicitly operating in rural North Florida.
When law enforcement officers entered the scene to serve the search warrant, they discovered a gathering of participants and onlookers actively engaged in the illegal blood sport of fighting or baiting of animals and immediately began effecting arrests. FDC canine assisted in apprehending several suspects who attempted to avoid arrest by fleeing on foot.
After the scene was secured, the court-authorized search of the area resulted in the discovery of three deceased birds and the seizure of 41 birds that had been brought to the location for the sole purpose of pitting them against each other in cruel fights to the death. Investigators also seized several firearms, large quantities of cash and illegal controlled substances as part of the operation.
"Every day, our department's law enforcement professionals are working hard to track down and crack down on criminal activity in our state," said Commissioner Nikki Fried. "Such abhorrent behavior will not be tolerated – be it illegal conduct hurting Floridians or cruelty against animals. Thanks to our law enforcement team and partners, this ring was broken up and the individuals involved are being brought to justice."
A total of 29 adult defendants and one juvenile defendant were arrested.
