Posted on February 18, 2010

Yucaipa Cockfight Breeding Facility Raided

Bob Banfield, KABC-TV (Los Angeles), February 17, 2010

Acting on a tip from the Humane Society of the U.S., authorities have confiscated hundreds of roosters and hens in San Bernardino County. The raid was conducted just outside the city of Yucaipa. It’s believed the poultry was being supplied to Mexico.

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“Investigators did believe that the property owners were raising, breeding, training and selling these birds to Mexico, where these birds were made to fight in derbies,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Spokesperson Jodie Miller.

A copy of a Mexican cockfighting magazine outlined the high entry fees and very high prizes for some of the legal events held in Mexico.

Some of these pictures in Yucaipa released by the Humane Society show the chickens–more than 600, more than 400 of them roosters–are well cared for and well fed. Officials say evidence supporting their accusation of breeding and training of game birds was seized.

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No arrests have been made. The owners of this operation are in Mexico and a caretaker is caring for the hundreds of birds remaining at the location.

Authorities believe that most of the battle fowl raised and trained here are shipped to Mexico. But dealing with illegal cockfighting is a problem for authorities in the United States.