Local law enforcement is zeroing in on an alleged cockfighting operation that may involve a number of locations in Burnet and adjacent counties. The most recent arrest involved an illegal alien suspect from Mexico.
On March 16, an investigating deputy witnessed signs of possible organized crime, including a security detail at the entryway of a property in the north end of the county. A seizure of suspected game roosters as well as the arrest of the alleged perpetrator followed.
“A vehicle came out, and there was a traffic violation he (deputy) was able to stop them for, and that’s what led to (the arrest),” BCSO Capt. Mike Sorenson told the Bulletin.
“(The suspect) was in a pickup truck, and they were all in little wooden crates where they couldn’t move much, just for transport,” Sorenson continued. “The chickens were found, along with all the paraphernalia that goes along with chicken fighting, like the things that go onto their feet, with hooks and other sharp objects, so they can fight another rooster and kill it.”
The sport is illegal in Texas and throughout the U.S. but thrives due to informal betting on the outcome with prize money awarded to the owner of the surviving bird.
Depending on the violation, from a Class A misdemeanor up to a state jail felony, under Texas Penal Code 42.105. Alleged perpetrators can include not only those caught organizing the fights but those who attend the events or who possess implements such as a “gaff or slasher” – steel spurs which are tied to birds’ ankles in order to slash, maim and kill opponents.
The deputy found a number of gaffs in the vehicle, the report stated.
Suspect Arrest
About 45 minutes after the traffic stop, Benjamin Aguilar Perez, 52, was charged with cockfighting and taken to the Burnet County Jail.
“We seized the chickens. There were nine – all roosters,” Sorenson said.
Authorities temporarily housed the roosters in separate cages borrowed from the Hill Country Humane Society for about 10 days.
“They were in the back under the carport,” he said. “(After receiving a court order), we removed the chickens and euthanized them, sanitized the cages and returned them back to the shelter.
“They’re aggressive animals. You try to get near them, they want to fight. You can’t give them to anybody. They’re dangerous.”
After being remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the suspect was released from jail.
According to jail records, Perez, who was released to Austin ICE, then bonded out of jail on March 25 on two personal bonds – a $2,500 personal surety bond for the cockfighting charge and a $500 surety bond for no driver’s license.
“We’re still investigating this. We have our eye on the place where they’re doing it,” Sorenson said. “We don’t want to tell everyone where it’s at yet, so we can develop more intel and put a stop to this.”
