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Dear John,
An informant in the Philippines recently reported that 34 people were murdered in disputes tied to the lawless and violent underworld of cockfighting and dumped at the bottom of a deep lake. What was not reported is that U.S.-based cockfighters are deeply enmeshed with the Philippines’ organized crime networks, exporting thousands of fighting birds to the Philippines every year for the fighting pits there.
A Philippine television network in 2020 released more than 50 videos showing American cockfighters being welcomed into massive cockfighting compounds. American cockfighting traffickers proudly touted their birds’ bloodlines destined for global events like the “World Slasher Derby” in Manila.
U.S. cockfighters are also supplying Mexico’s cartels with fighting birds – at perhaps 10 times the scale of the trafficking to the Philippines. One Alabama-based cockfighter admitted to selling 6,000 birds a year to Mexico alone, at prices as high as $2,000 each—millions of dollars in illicit trade annually, funding further violence and trafficking.
- In late January 2024, there were 14 wounded and six murdered, including a 16-year-old from eastern Washington at a cockfighting derby in the Mexican state of Guerrero.
- Months before, also in Mexico, 20 people were massacred at a cockfighting derby, including a Chicago woman.
- In April, there were 12 murdered and 9 other wounded at a cockfight in Ecuador in more cartel-on-cartel violence. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has said that about 70% of the world's cocaine now flows through Ecuador's ports before being shipped to the U.S. and Europe.
These are just some of the reasons why we are urging Congress to pass the FIGHT Act (H.R. 3946 and S. 1454) to halt animal fighting and to strengthen our ability to dismantle these violent criminal networks and end the flow of fighting animals that fuels them. The FIGHT Act closes gaping loopholes in federal law, enhances enforcement tools for investigators, and allows prosecutors to target perpetrators before violence erupts.
Cockfighting and dogfighting are what law enforcement officials call “cluster crimes”—entangled with narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons, human and child trafficking, illegal immigration, and even murder.
Law enforcement leaders from across the country, including the National Sheriffs Association, the National District Attorneys Association, and 19 state sheriffs’ associations are pleading with Congress to act:
The National Sheriffs’ Association supports the FIGHT Act, noting that “animal fighting investigations have uncovered intricate criminal networks and connections to organized crime, trafficking narcotics, illegal firearms, and attempted bribery of elected officials.”
“We have witnessed firsthand the serious criminal activities associated with organized animal fighting.”
— Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association
“Animal fighting operations present a clear danger to public safety... This legislation is an essential step to protect both animals and our communities.”
— Missouri Sheriffs’ Association
“Animal fighting is not a victimless crime—it’s a magnet for violence, drug activity, and illicit gambling.”
— Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association
“This bill strengthens enforcement tools we urgently need to shut down the networks that traffic in cruelty and crime.”
— Indiana Sheriffs’ Association
“Arizona has unfortunately seen this criminal conduct within its borders... The FIGHT Act would provide the tools necessary for federal and local authorities to identify and bring to justice individuals participating in or enabling animal fighting operations.”
— Arizona Sheriffs’ Association
These law enforcement agencies are sounding the alarm. Animal fighting is a problem and they need more tools to combat it.
If you haven’t already, please reach out to your U.S. Senators and Representative today and urge them to support the FIGHT Act and get it to the president to sign. Soon.
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