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This week, authorities charged a man with transporting prohibited cockfighting equipment into the United States at the border in El Paso, Texas. His arrest was the result of a joint operation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the El Paso Police Department.

The 38-year-old man reportedly attempted to smuggle the illegal cockfighting-related items into the U.S. at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry in Downtown El Paso. The arrest occurred at around 4:50 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to the El Paso Police Department, Customs and Border Protection agents were conducting an inspection of the man’s vehicle. After referring the vehicle for a secondary inspection, an X-ray scan revealed abnormalities.

Upon further inspection of the vehicle, Customs and Border Protection agents discovered numerous veterinary medications and steroids. They also found several cockfighting gaffs and decorative gaff covers concealed inside the vehicle.

Police said the suspect intended to distribute the items to multiple states and local buyers. The El Paso Police Department’s Animal Cruelty Unit assisted with the investigation.

The driver was charged with cockfighting-related offenses involving the possession, ownership, transportation, and equipment used in animal fighting.

“The investigation remains ongoing. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the El Paso Police Department continue to work together to combat the illegal trafficking of animal fighting paraphernalia and veterinary drugs,” a spokesperson said.

In August 2025, Virginia Beach police seized 213 birds in connection with a suspected cockfighting ring. They seized 36 adult roosters among the birds.

Calvin Johnson, a Virginia Beach resident, told KVIA News that he did not find the alleged cockfighting entirely unexpected in the rural area. “I mean, I could definitely see a lot of people around here doing that, but I was kind of surprised too,” he said.

Earlier in 2025, a man convicted of leading an illegal cockfighting operation in West Oahu, Hawaii, received14 years in federal prison. The court found him guilty of organizing and holding large-scale chicken fights in which hundreds of spectators and participants would bet on the fights. His arrest was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation.

A month before that, police in Greenfield, California, broke up a cockfighting operation. More than 40 people gathered at the event ran away and escaped in their vehicles. Authorities recovered 14 live roosters and one dead one at the scene.

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MotorBiscuit Senior Editor

Doug Sheckler

Doug Sheckler is a Senior Editor at MotorBiscuit and BroBible. He began his professional career working for an auto racing sanctioning body, and subsequently founded his own racing series, which remains in operation today. He has since spent the better part of two decades creating, editing, and writing for a variety of websites.

These days, he has a special affinity for hypercars and other exotic vehicles that he will never own. He also enjoys delving into stories about the world of criminals, the more foolish and/or clever the better, and is always up for a good conspiracy theory. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Iowa.

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