BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. — A major cockfighting ring was dismantled June 14 in Blount County, where a joint task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement arrested 60 people and seized more than $100,000 in cash and two firearms. Among those arrested were 55 people identified as illegal aliens and five U.S. citizens. Five federal indictments are pending against U.S. citizen organizers, and four non-citizens face charges for illegal reentry after deportation. The operation, led by the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, targeted not just animal fighting, but also illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes.
Cockfighting, the practice of pitting specially bred roosters against each other in often deadly matches, has a long and controversial history. The blood sport dates back thousands of years, with roots in ancient China, Greece, Egypt, and Rome. It was even practiced by some of America’s founding fathers and was once a legal and socially acceptable activity in the United States.
Despite its deep cultural roots, cockfighting is now illegal in all 50 states. However, Alabama’s anti-cockfighting law, unchanged since 1896, is widely considered the weakest in the nation. The law imposes a maximum fine of just $50 and no jail time for offenders, a penalty animal rights groups call “a joke” and a magnet for illegal activity. Alabama’s lenient penalties have led some to label it the “cockfighting capital of the Southeast,” and advocates continue to push for tougher laws to deter the crime and protect animal welfare.
The recent Blount County bust highlights the ongoing prevalence of cockfighting in Alabama and renews calls for legislative reform. The case will be prosecuted in the Northern District of Alabama, and authorities say the investigation is ongoing.